"CURRENT TRENDS IN PREVENTION OF DRUG ABUSE"

Second Prize in Essay writing Competition

by Taimoor Salman Zahid    3^RD YEAR

Man-kind may have faced dilemmas in the history of his evolution but none may be more debilitating then that of Drug Abuse. It is a malady that has afflicted humanity for centuries, destroying civilizations, empires and tribes. Because of the nature of Drug Addiction, it has become necessary to look for modes of preventing it. Thank-fully this work as of present is more diverse as opposed to that of a few decades ago when there were virtually no means of preventing Addiction from taking place. In fact it was chiefly the determination of the Drug Abusers that could save him, otherwise they were considered doomed.

Perhaps the oldest method employed in prevention of Drug Abuse (still being a motivating factor) is Drug Addiction intervention. In similar terms it means the involvement of intimate family members, such as parents, siblings and spouses in encouraging the Drug Addict to cease his activities. This can be done by any means needed whether it be psychological counseling to physically restraining the patient. It is the initial step in Drug Abuse prevention, but is unfortunately met with the high rate of failure.

Next in the arsenal of Drug Abuse prevention is the admission of the patient in to residential treatment progress and clinics. These are special communes that operate by openly discussing Drug Addiction problems with other members in organized meetings. In these gatherings, the members talk about the reasons they started doing drugs, what they have gained from it and why they want to stop. Famous groups are, alcoholic anonymous (AA) and narcotics anonymous (NA). Both of the above groups have enjoyed tremendous success by treating thousands of individuals throughout the years.

Following the lines of above treatment is the “Inpatient treatment program and clinic” system which means that the Abuser is admitted into specialized clinic. Theses institutes are usually in conjugation with the hospitals or they are separate establishments. Patients in these clinics enjoy private consultations by qualified staff, advanced treatment options and the use of quality facilities. This is the present form of treatment in what used to be customized monasteries or temples. As with the previous example, these facilities have enjoyed victories in the continuous battle against Drug Abuse, with well established infirmaries treating multitudes of special case Drug Abuser annually, thereby reducing their population.

The above application however innovative they may be still is localized around select low individuals. There still remains the issue of preventing the entire population from adopting Drugs, something with far reaching implications.

Now-a-days, the 1^st line of defense adopted to prevent Drug Abuse is the formation of strictly enforced laws that declare the Drug Abuse and all the steps involved in it, illegal. Punishments ranging from fines to prison sentences and even death sentence are meted out by nearly all governments around the world. Even so, laws are broken and punishments rendered, ineffective, which is why many governments have Anti-Narcotics Forces in their employ. These are specialized police units that are involved in the cessation of Drug related activities and are legally the authorities for narcotic related information. Other methods in use by governments are funding of institutes involved in Drug Abuse prevention and promoting Drug Abuse awareness.

Governments, however, are not the only organizations to stop substance abuse. Work done by various non-profit organizations is being carried out globally at both national and international levels. NGOs are involved in promoting awareness of Drug Abuse amongst people by non-violent rallies or delivery of speeches and seminars, even procurement of pamphlets.

Arguably, the best weapon against Drug culture is media, whether it be printed articles in a newspaper or a commercial on television, media helps staunch the progress of Drug Abuse by creating awareness of the hazards involved. Single-handedly, televised programs and commercials are the most effective methods for spreading Drug awareness, but even so mega events such as concerts, melees and galas in the name of Drug Abuse prevention prove to be just as effective for a brief period of time.

From the above discussion, it is apparent that, in the same fashion Drug Abuse diversifies frequently, so have our means for preventing it. It is essential, however that we discover newer, innovative methods for preventing Drug Abuse so as to save our legacy, our future generation from this vice.