"Effects of Drugs on Socio-Economic Conditions of Union Council Shoghore District Chitral, Pakistan"
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations
Drug addiction is a pathological or abnormal condition which arises due to frequent or abnormal use of substances which affects human senses and decreased motivation for normal life activities. The disorder of addiction involves the progression of acute drug use to the development of drug-seeking behavior, the vulnerability to relapse, and the decreased, slowed ability to respond to naturally rewarding stimuli.
Drug addiction or abuse is a major problem that may seize the development process of any nation. Despite of awareness, education and development activities, the rate of drug abusers is significantly increasing day by day. The quantitative figures provided in this research study indicated that a large number of the population was addicted in some or other form of addiction either minor / light (naswar, cigarette) or major / extreme (opium, hashish, wine), and spent a lot of money on purchasing drugs and expenditure on illness and side effects caused the excessive use of these drugs.
The research revealed that the majority of the drug addicts were either with less education or illiterate, and also that more than 51% of the respondents were above 40 years of age. This depicts that lack of awareness and age factor also affect the extent of drug prediction that in turn then affects their earning and increases effects of drug abuse either to avoid it or manage it in light form and fewer times a day. Similarly, younger people with little or more elder supervisions and limited self income also had the same reservations in terms of addiction.
It was found that opium and hashish were not only cultivated at the local level but also provided by outsiders and people coming across the Afghanistan borders. The authorities responsible for the check and control were seemed involved in the process as there was no such policy to check such imports or impose penalty on the barriers and distributors.
Recommendations:
In light of the above mentioned summary the recommendations for improvement and developing a sustainable and health community, following recommendations are withdrawn on the basis of analyzed data and personal observations:
Firstly, as the majority of the addicts were less or not educated, as well as not aware of the consequences of the drug abuses, it is deemed most important to create awareness in the community and teach them about the adverse effects of drugs addiction as well as about the measures to recover from this. This awareness can be brought through community stakeholders (teachers, religious clerics, educated people, activists etc.), government agencies such as anti-narcotic departments, NGOs' social mobilizers, and so on.
Secondly, as it was also concluded from the research that people with some domestic stress and tensions due to lack of employment opportunities were mostly vulnerable to drug addiction to relieve their tensions and intaking different substances as an immediately relieving remedy. Lack of supervision, leisure time with no creative activities and sitting idle and free availability of drugs are also major reasons for promoting addiction. So development efforts must also be directed towards the improvement in the engagement of the jobless and younger people in some creative activities as well as deliberating vocational skills and exploring job opportunities for them.
Thirdly, education and drug addiction are inversely proportional to each other and it was also revealed from the study results that those with less or no education were highly tending to drugs as compared to those with proper education and well grooming. So if the measures are taken to reduce the illiteracy rate in the area, the rate of drugs addiction will automatically be reduced.
Fourthly, rehabilitation centers should also be established for those who want to get rid of this habit. Proper awareness campaigns should also be conducted in the area.
Last but not least, the role of law enforcing agencies is most important than all. It implies the proper check and balance in the community as well as on outsiders coming from other parts of the country and across the borders.