Drug Abuse On Rise Among Youth In Pakistan:Dr. Moin Ansari

HYDERABAD, Feb, 01 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 01st Mar, 2017 ) : Eminent Psychiatrist and head of the department of Psychiatry at LUMHS, Professor Dr. Moin Ansari has said that drug abuse was on the rise in Pakistan, especially among youth including those in colleges and universities, resulting in social and health implications.

Talking to APP here on Wednesday Dr. Moin disclosed that five per cent of the adult population had already been addicted to drugs across the country. Dr. Ansari said that drug trafficking once viewed largely as a social and criminal problem, had transformed in recent years, into a major threat to the health and security of people and regions.

To a question, he said that often drug abuse was linked to factors such as risk taking behaviors that may involve experimenting with narcotics, smoking and alcohol, social isolation, stress, anxiety, depression, modern life style, unemployment, excessive pocket money by parents and lack of supervision of parents.

He stated that many people get depressed and start feeling sick and physical health of addicts weaken so rapidly that a young man of thirties looks like an old man of over-sixties. Drug use in general leads to a number of health problems, such as malnutrition, apathy and loneliness, Dr.

Moin added. He said that the awareness campaigns through mass media, essay contests, lectures and declamation contests in schools, colleges and Universities should be run in order to create awareness about the ill effects of drug addiction.

He further said that researches have proved that people who start smoking cigarettes or drink alcohol at a young age were more likely to experiment with illegal drugs than people who do not smoke or drink.

He said that efforts should be made to control tobacco smoking in the country because it was the gateway to drug abuse. He added that parents should be vigilant and should keep their children busy and motivate them to say their prayers regularly.

He said that teachers could play significant role to aware the students about drug abuse situation in the country to convey message to the entire society regarding this alarming issue. He said that there was need of effective awareness to inform the students about drug abuse and motivate them to conduct research and share its findings with the society.

Teachers are the ideal for the students and their personality influence students to change their actions, he added. Dr. Ansari urged the need to stop supply of the illicit drugs and reduce its demand where treatment is the core approach as drug abuse in Pakistan has increased dramatically in the past few decades.