Address the fundamental causes of drug menace

The Punjab Government's newly launched war against drug suppliers and peddlers is an appreciative move. It is also an acceptance of the deep-rooted drug menace in the state. However, the three-month ultimatum given to drug suppliers and peddlers to either leave the state or their trade seems to be an over-ambitious goal as the problem is deeply embedded in the socio-cultural and politico-economic systems.

The main objective of this strategy seems to be to deter the activity by arresting drug peddlers and suppliers and confiscating their properties and houses (construed to be made from illegally acquired drug money) and bulldozing some of them.

However, this strategy may at the most work as a deterrent; it would not break the supply chain, external as well as internal. Nor would it make any enduring dent on the demand for drugs. Had it been so simple, the drug menace would have been eradicated earlier as the previous governments too have tried to stem the rot thus, but failed.

Their SITs and STFs could not yield the desired results as the root causes behind the widespread drug use and abuse were never sincerely diagnosed and addressed.

The present war against drugs, too, does not seem to have identified and addressed the fundamental socio-cultural and politico-economic reasons behind the drug menace in the state.

Recent global slogans such as 'war on drugs' and the threat of 'narco-terrorism' show that the world is facing a serious challenge of drug addiction and abuse. Narco-terrorism is emerging as the largest threat to human safety after nuclear weapons and terrorism.

The Golden Crescent (Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan), the Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Laos and Thailand) and South America (mainly Mexico) are the three major sources of drug supply. India is affected by the first two. Punjab is the transit route of drugs from the Golden Crescent.

Our recent study ('Dynamics of drug addiction and abuse in India', published by Routledge in 2024), with focus on Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, HP and J&K, reveals that on the demand side, unemployment, under-employment, availability of easy money, low income and indebtedness are the main economic reasons behind the spread of drugs in these states. More than 50 per cent respondents reveal that unemployment (especially very high unemployment of youth — 20 per cent in Punjab) is the most significant reason for their initiation into taking mild intoxicants and later transitioning to more harmful drugs.

To generate additional employment, Punjab must improve investment, growth rate and employment. Its growth rate and investment-to-GSDP ratio has been below the national average for over 25 years.

On the supply side, both external (mainly the Golden Crescent) and domestic sources are responsible for the drug menace. Our study also reveals that the unholy nexus between some politicians, big smugglers/drug mafia and police officials is a powerful force behind the supply of illicit drugs as it involves huge money. The distribution of intoxicants during elections by political parties also encourages the use of drugs.

We presented the preliminary findings of our study at the second conference (on drug menace) of the CMs of eight north Indian states, organised by the Government of Punjab in Chandigarh in July 2019.

Among the social reasons, the prominent one is the consumption of intoxicants (especially alcohol) by a very high percentage of elders in the family. This factor, inter alia, has led to the initiation of 10 per cent of the addicts into intoxicants at the tender age of 7 to 14 years. Another 65 per cent of the addicts got initiated into intoxicants at ages 14 to 20 years due to this factor. Nearly 77 per cent of all the drug addicts were in the 14-35 year age group. This is not only a drag on development but also involves a massive social and economic cost, apart from exerting a huge burden on law and order and health services. Significantly, 20 per cent of the addicts were illiterate and 60 per cent educated up to class XII.

Nearly 83 per cent of the addicts revealed that they were initiated into drugs because of peer pressure. Heroin, opium, tramadol, poppy husk, cannabis, marijuana, buprenorphine, codeine, hashish and cocaine are the commonly used illicit drugs in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and J&K. On an average, an addict uses two to three drugs, depending upon their availability and cost.

While there are a number of government and private deaddiction centres across the states, there is widespread deficiency in terms of infrastructure and trained manpower. There is an acute shortage of rehabilitation centres and post-deaddiction care due to which the incidence of relapse is very high. The additional factors for the high incidence of relapse are peer pressure, curiosity and inadequate support system by the family, society and government.

Thus, curbing the supply of drugs and lowering their demand are imperative to addressing the drug menace. That is possible only if a holistic policy is made and implemented in a mission mode and in a sustained manner.

The supply chain should be broken by denting the politico-police patronage given to smugglers, drug mafia and peddlers as also addressing the socio-economic and political reasons behind the demand for drugs.

Discouraging and curbing new entries into the supply and demand chains are also of utmost importance.

Addressing the drug menace requires sustained social awareness movements by rural and urban local bodies, backed by civil society and religious organisations and matching politico-bureaucratic will.

Given the multi-dimensional complexities of drug use and abuse, they need to be addressed by understanding the socio-cultural and politico-economic nuances and ground realities as the phenomenon is deeply embedded in the system.

The Punjab government's four-pronged strategy of enforcement, prevention, deaddiction and rehabilitation would yield the desired results only if it diagnoses and addresses the fundamental reasons behind the drug menace and relapse and moves forward in a resolute and sustained manner.