DRUG AWARNESS:

The increased use of drugs among youngsters in the world is an undisputed fact. Drug abuse is the non-lenient consumption of harmful or life-threatening substances that can lead to physical or mental reliance. According to an estimate, 208 million people across the globe use illegal drugs, constituting 3.9 percent of the world’s total population. Twenty-three million people, above the age 12, are drug addicts who are not only putting their physical, emotional and mental health at stake but are also exposing people around them to grave implications; directly or indirectly.

Pakistanis aged between 15 and 64 use heroin regularly. Almost 44 tons of processed heroin are consumed annually in Pakistan. The population that is involved In drug abuse is mostly of a lower income background. Our Drug Abuse and Awareness program address a range of goals that include demand reduction, reduction of drug related crime and violence, and reduction of drug-related health and social costs. The goal of the Drug Abuse and Awareness Campaign is to educate and enable Pakistan’s youth to reject illicit drugs. This goal includes preventing drug use and encouraging occasional users to discontinue use.

Drugs cause changes in the structure and working of the brain and can have long-lasting consequences for the user. Addiction to drugs is chronic and progressive in nature, and if left untreated, can be fatal.

Some of the major reasons for drug addiction include lack of recreational and extra-curricular activities, the pressure to conform to societal norms, lack of acceptance by society and family, mental health concerns including, anxiety, depression, etc., inclination to escape from everyday problems and peer pressure, just to name a few.

So the drug awareness  campaign is not only for the consumers of the drug but also for the people around them who are actually equally responsible for the consumptions of drugs by their beloved. Their behavior plays an important role in helping these drug addicts to come out of these situation.

We live in a society, where addiction to drugs is not an individual battle but one that the entire family deals with it. We live in a society where drug abusers are reluctant to seek professional assistance out of shame. Drug abuse is a taboo subject in Pakistan, where the middle or lower-middle-class families frown upon people consuming alcohol or drugs and hence go pear-shaped in providing their loved ones with the much needed emotional and mental navigation to quit these life-threatening substances.

Family and friends can play a pivotal role in curbing drug addiction. Getting your children to talk is vital, as teens who feel loved and supported are more likely to stop experimenting with drugs and can be convinced to seek professional help. Attention and affection from family members can save a number of youngsters from stepping into the euphoric world of drugs and addiction that leads to nowhere but darkness alone.