Bangladesh, drug addiction on the rise with online dealing
The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was also celebrated in Dhaka yesterday. Bangladesh is one of the South Asian countries most affected by the phenomenon. The annual report of the Narcotics Control Directorate emphasises the role of digital platforms. Prof. Choudhury: "About 8 million drug addicts, most of them young".
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - The International Day against the Abuse and Illicit Trafficking of Drugs, established by the UN General Assembly in 1987 and celebrated yesterday, was particularly significant for Bangladesh, among the South Asian countries most affected by drug use, trade and trafficking, with a slow but steady increase in drug addiction rates.
This phenomenon is also on the rise thanks to the mediations of technology, as the annual report edited by the Narcotics Control Directorate reveals. In the country, drug dealers and users use various social media platforms, or the dark web, and transactions are conducted through online banking, including those in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
It is an unprecedented face of that trade of death strongly denounced yesterday by Pope Francis at the general audience. The latest statistics from the Narcotics Control Directorate reveal that in Bangladesh in 2021, all control agencies seized 36.38 million pills of Yaba (known as the drug of madness), about 1.08 million bottles of Fencidil, about 4 kg of cocaine and 210 kg of heroin. In 2021, 47% of drug-related cases resulted in convictions, up from 43% in 2020.
Providing an overview of the situation in the country is Professor Arup Ratan Choudhury, a specialist in dentistry and drug addiction researcher. He points out that Bangladesh is stepping up efforts to increase internet use, even though it is often misused.
"About 130 million people use the internet in Bangladesh and the number of Facebook users in the country is about 60 million. Unfortunately, for some time now, drug-like products have been openly sold on various social media and digital platforms,' he said.
These figures are influential in framing drug addiction as one of the country's most serious social problems, which, along with smoking, is among the most common causes of premature death and ill health. Which often affect the younger generation, as the majority of the population is made up of teenagers: 49% of people in Bangladesh are 24 years of age or younger.
'According to private estimates, the number of drug addicts in the country is about 8 million, most of whom are young,' Choudhury added. 'It is alarming that 85 per cent of Yaba users are young. It is estimated that this number will exceed 10 million by 2030'.
In fact, young people often start using drugs through smoking and later become addicted to various drugs, including Yaba, Phencidil, heroin, cocaine, opium, codeine, morphine and LSD.
Gradually, drug addicts suffer from complex diseases that affect the kidneys, liver and normal brain functioning. To come to their rescue, Pope Francis yesterday indicated the path of prevention, which 'is done by promoting greater justice, educating young people in the values that build personal and community life, accompanying those in difficulty, and giving hope for the future.
To do this, it is essential to create a favourable environment for sharing and coordinating information, to ensure that drug policies are based on scientific research, to raise awareness of the importance of community participation in planning and implementing effective prevention programmes, and to empower communities to increase participation in prevention activities.
A Catholic parent in Dhaka told AsiaNews that their only boy, 35, who has two children, was left by his wife because of drug addiction. "Our son's beautiful family was destroyed because of drug addiction. We are still working to cure our son,' the parents, who do not want to be named, said sadly.
According to Bangladesh news agency Sangbad Sangstha, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government is implementing a 'zero tolerance' policy against criminals and drug smugglers and is including drug-related science subjects in school curricula to raise awareness among students.
He emphasised that street children and drug addicts receive treatment through government and private centres. The Prime Minister made these remarks on the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking', calling for a strong commitment to create a drug-free Bangladesh.
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27/06/2019 15:41
17/03/2005
