Bertrand Russell in The Conquest of Happiness had said that the sole reason of unhappiness finding refuge in the heart of man is the unhindered 1 growth of “self-centred passions”. These passions more often are materialistic. And in the pursuit of materialistic passions, he becomes alienated from the society.
Failure in his pursuit often leads him to discontentment and dejection and he finds himself a misfit in this perverted 2 world. In the modern world, none is unaffected by stress. The stress to outdo the other in this mad rat race of consumerism often leads to depression.
Even children are not spared from this rat race. They are supposed to fare better than their class-mates in examinations and other co-curricular activities. So man, right from childhood, has to face the brunt of being born in this fast changing society According to one estimate, 55% of the suicides committed in India, are by people below the age of 30 years.
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Unable to cope with and living up to the expectations of their loved ones, they end their lives. The others try to find a viable alternative to suicide, which could give them a reason to sustain themselves and exist. This often leads them to experiment with drugs, for seeking temporary escape from the rigors of life. A small whiff in the initial stage, which seems an escapade, initiates a naive into drug abuse.
The illusive and momentary escape and mental relaxation provided by the initial intake, encourages people to indulge in them more oft en. The body then becomes totally dependent on drugs and cannot survive without the daily dose. With regular intake the amount required to produce the effect also increases. This physical and mental dependence on drugs is called drug addition.
Drugs are mostly introduced to an unsuspecting person by his friends .It is usually observed that once addicted to drugs, they initiate others to drugs; they initiate others to drugs, as they get paid for doing so. Some youngsters take initiate others to drugs, as they get paid for doing so.
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Some youngsters take to drugs because they want others to believe that they want others to believe that they are superior and mature, as such things are taken by other people. Some get addicted because they are poked fun at if they do not yield to drugs.
While others get addicted because of problems they face in their personal and professional lives. Seeking refuge in drugs relieves Intensions, eases depressions and removes inhibitions, apparently, although the period of ecstasy is short-lived.
Drugs, broadly speaking, are chemical compounds which when consumed alter the way the body functions. Drugs are prescribed by physicians to cure diseases and sometimes to enhance physical and mental capacities. But, psychotropic drugs accompany the risk of the patients’ becoming dependent on it. They are classified into four groups depending upon their effect on the mind.
Tranquillizers, however, reduce tension and anxiety without inducing sleep. Opiate narcotics derived from the alkaloid latex of the dopium plant have a narcotic and produce sedative effect. They are also used as intoxicants to relieve pain. Stimulants like cocaine produce feelings of excitement, increased self-confidence and flow of ideas. Hallucinogens can alter a person’s thoughts, feelings and perception. LSD, mescaline, cannabis and marijuana are different hallucinogens.
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Although these drugs induce a feeling of ecstasy, they prove harmful to the body in the long run. Sedatives have a depressing (‘switching off’) effect on the activity of the brain. People addicted to opium tend to lose weight, sterility and show a total disinterest in work.
Heroin addicts suffer from abdominal and muscle cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, shivering and perspiration, if they are unable to procure their daily dose. LSD or lysergic acid is the most potent drug in the group of hallucinogens.
It can induce chronic psychosis and cause severe damage to the central nervous system. Drug abusers, being careless, run the risk of contracting many diseases after using contaminated needles. Some of the diseases being blood poisoning, formation of abscess, serum hepatitis and also AIDS .Failure in getting their daily dose of drugs because of shortage of money, can also make them resort to crime and murder.
Our country has been confronted with the problem of an increase trafficking in drugs. As a result, the population of the country has become vulnerable to drugs. The profits raised by such illegal practices are used to create chaos in the country. Drug trafficking is also patronized by the politicians and the bureaucrats for their conceited purposes.
The amount of money involved in the trafficking has made the narcotics mafia stronger than the government. The law enforcing departments often find it difficult to prosecute the criminals because of their dubious involvements with the politicians. It is the sole reason for the thriving narcotics trade of India.
A major portion of the drugs available in India is smuggled from Afghanistan and Pakistan. A small portion is indigenously produced. The Government of India has enforced stringent laws to curb the menace of drug trafficking.
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 have made drug offences non-bailable. The Narcotics Control Bureau has on several occasions intercepted huge hauls of drugs. The government should ban the cultivation of all the drug-yielding crops and provide the growers with alternate professions to sustain themselves. It should do away with the laboratories indulging in the production of addictive drugs. The Saw enforcement bodies should also be made more effective and accountable.
Ministry of Health and around 350 run by the Ministry of Welfare are helping in the de-addiction of a large number of addicts. Laws like the one practiced in some countries, where any person found in possession of drugs is beheaded, should be enforced in India also to put an immediate check on the menace.
Society, on its part, should also feel responsible towards the menace and help the government in eradicating it. The family being the basic unit of the society has a major role to pay. Parents should make a concerted effort towards the development of their children. According to one estimate, children are rone to drugs during the onset of adolescence when they confronted emotional and physical changes.
During these periods, parents should befriend their children and guide them. They should also give a stern warning against drugs, followed by reasons for doing so. They should also help their children build self-confidence.
The Non-Governmental Organizations like the Narcotics Anonymous give counseling and treatments to several drug abusers and rest ore their shattered lives. The family, friends and relatives of the patient should effectively contribute towards his rehabilitation.