send mail to support@abhimanu.com mentioning your email id and mobileno registered with us! if details not recieved
Resend Opt after 60 Sec.
By Loging in you agree to Terms of Services and Privacy Policy
Please specify
Please verify your mobile number
Login not allowed, Please logout from existing browser
Please update your name
Subscribe to Notifications
Stay updated with the latest Current affairs and other important updates regarding video Lectures, Test Schedules, live sessions etc..
Your Free user account at abhipedia has been created.
Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. Stay motivated and keep moving forward!
Refer & Earn
Enquire Now
My Abhipedia Earning
Kindly Login to view your earning
Support
Drug Menace in Himachal Pradesh
The State of Himachal Pradesh is well known for its natural beauty and is one of its natural beauty and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Unfortunately , this beautiful state has also come to be known for widespread illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy cultivaton. Illicit drug produced in the state attract drug traffickers from all over the world. Generally, the youth seem to be the target of this drug menace and its abuse. Considerable drug addiction, Particularly among the local youth has been noticed at high rate and the situation is alarming due to unchecked cultivation and spread of drug abuse over the years in the state. . Drug abuse and the drug menace is the illicit, non- medical use of limited number of substance, most of drugs which have the properties of altering the mental state of a being in ways that are considered by social norms and defined by statute to be inappropriate, undesirable, harmful threatening to the life of the user and to the society at large. Alcohol, heroin, cocaine, opium, marijuana, are some of the drugs abused.
Current Scenario in the state :
About 27 per cent youth in Himachal Pradesh are involved in drug abuse. Himachal Pradesh, like neighbouring Punjab, is facing a deadly menace of drugs and narcotics. In just three months, 274 narcotic-related cases were registered and 320 people were arrested according to police record. 230 kg charas was seized from drug peddlers this year. According to sources, the youngsters are not only addicted to alcohol, cigratte, gutka , khaini but they are also falling prey to capsules, bam, shoe police, cough syrups, white fluid beside charas, smack, heroin and opium. Recently a 17 year old youth from una distt. has died due to overdose of Chitta and many more cases of death have also seen due to overdose of drugs. The police have sensitised over 600,000 people on the ill effects of drugs.steps should be initiated to completely eradicate the drug menace. The Chief Minister favoured tough penalties against those involved in the drug trade.
Causes of drug abuse in the state :
Peer pressure Teenagers who get into drug abuse often do so because they are under pressure from their peers. There are those who start using drugs at a tender age, and they become a bad influence on their friends. Because of this, the other teens that want to look as ‘cool’ as their friends have no option but to get into the habit. It starts with a single use, then another, and before the parents know what is going on, the child will be a serious abuser of drugs. It will take an enormous effort to get them out of this if they ever will.
Society negligence : Sometimes, the society plays ignorant of the drug abuse problem, and the effects are dire. Some families will not admit that one of their own is hooked on drugs even when it is obvious. While they think that they are protecting the family image, they actually are creating a crisis that will be hard to deal with. Reality only hits them when they find out that had they spoken out, they would have saved a life. Even when medical records show that someone died because of a drug overdose, some families would rather say that it was something else that caused that death.
Mental Stigma : Stress, anxiety, depression ,low confidence, parental and peer pressure are also some of reasons to intake drugs to escape from challenging situation. The effects of drug abuse have been felt far and wide. Most communities are left in desperation because of this. To solve the problems, a combination of approaches should be used. Rehabilitation of addicts should be followed by civic education and legal approaches.
Curiousity : The youth of today are very inquisitive and curious. They would like to test the efficacy of whatever they see and hear of. This curiosity at times becomes fatal even to the point of death. Some by their curiosity go in to deal with drugs and become addicts. Financial condition :In attempts to find income and to survive the changing trends in the economy, the youth indulge in drug trafficking, abuse and peddling with drugs in the name of employment. Today, a lot of the youth are involved in this drug trade. Poverty therefore becomes a prime cause for this drug menace coupled with the negative attitude of the youth. This attitude is the “make money quick”. The youth today has this idiom, “get rich early or die trying”.
Impacts of drug abuse : The most major impact of drug abuse is on the brain, which consequentially affects every other aspect of life of the person addicted to drugs. They cause Drugs are primarily chemicals that affect the communication system of the human brain. They disturb the ways in which nerve cells send, process and receive information. There are a couple of ways in which drugs achieve this – they copy the natural chemical messengers of the human brain and they overstimulate the brain’s reward circuit.
Steps taken by state government to control Drug Menace :
Himachal Pradesh Government is determined to curb the problem of drug abuse in the State. Drug abuse continues to be a serious social problem across the State and country. The lives of thousands of people are blighted by their dependence on drugs. Drug-related crimes have increased tremendously and the immense profits made in the illicit drug trafficking have influenced the organized crime and expanded it. Drug addiction, which in recent years has been viewed as a peculiar problem is now affecting people throughout the world.
1. With a view to check drug menace, the State Government has chalked out a comprehensive plan for it. A major part of the anti-drug strategy of the State Government focuses on certain drugs originally derived from plant sources such as cannabis and opium. The State Government has taken stringent steps against cultivation and eradication of these drugs generating plants. campaign for the eradication of Cannabis/Opium is being carried out on all lands including Gram Panchayat, forest, PWD, IPH, Agriculture, Horticulture lands, roadsides, etc. The Cannabis/ Opium Eradication campaign is being implemented in the entire State in effective manner. In order to intensify the Cannabis/Opium Eradication campaign the State Government has also deployed Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB) for addressing the issue in high altitude regions and provided them with modern equipments for cannabis/opium destruction.
2. Under the anti-drug initiatives, the State Government has launched special drives to detect ND&PS cases that are launched periodically by the State Police. Special drives to curb drug menace amongst the youth are being organised near schools and colleges time to time under Community Policing Scheme. Awareness campaigns are being launched by Narcotic cell, all SPs and field units of CID to aware general public and educational institutes. The State Police also organises mini marathon to sensitize the masses against drug abuse every year.
3. With a view to strengthen the narcotics cell within the State, Government has also sanctioned funds amounting to Rs. one crore. As part of a Special Task Force, three State Narcotics Crime Control Units at Shimla, Kangra and Kullu have been set up to deal with drug mafia.
4. The State Government is not only determined to eradicate the production of drugs but is also working towards providing a helping hand to drug abused. In order to address the problem of drug abuse, the State Health Department has started a De-Addiction Programme, as one of the main component of Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK). Under this programme, De-Addiction Centres have been made functional in all Regional and Zonal Hospitals of the State. One Clinical Psychologists and one Medical Social Worker are appointed in all these Centres. These Clinical Psychologists and Medical Social Workers are also imparted training for this job at National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangaluru. These Counsellors also conduct at least four field visits in a month in different institutions for IEC activities.
5. Set up a Special task Force (STF) to curb drug menace in the hill-state. As a large quantity of drugs enter Himachal from neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana, the Cabinet directed the Home Department to hold regular coordination meetings with the states and conduct joint police operations to check inter-state drug flow, besides, necessary amendments will be made in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act to make it more stringent.
6.The action plan that has been chalked out aims at preparing a training module for nodal training officers of education department to sensitize students on drug abuse. During the parent teacher meetings, the parents of students will also be sensitised on this issue. Counseling sessions are being organised once in a week in educational institutions on drug abuse. There is a move to carry out random checks in and around the educational institutions to identify students who indulge in drug abuse. The objective of such counseling is to reach the suppliers of drugs through students. 7. In the wake of rising drug menace in the state, the Himachal Pradesh government has proposed to introduce a chapter on ill - effects of drug abuse in the syllabus of government schools, starting from the next academic session. 8. Replacing current cannabis species with industrial hemp, which cannot be used for the purpose of intoxication as the amount of the psychoactive substance is very low in it.Not only the legalisation of hemp cultivation can revolutionize the economy of the state, but it can also help eradicate the menace created by drug mafia. Himachal’s neighbouring state Uttarakhand has already legalized it and benefitting from it. Over 25,000 eco-friendly products can be manufactured from hemp. 9. State govt. also coordinating with Parents and support persons’ involvement and engagement in youth programmes and must be strengthened further as it improves communication and better decision-making for youth health issues.Family-based prevention programmes emphasising parenting skills, training or improving family functioning, communication and family rules regarding substance abuse are introduced.Teachers are a major source of information to young people. Hence, strengthening the role and performance of educational institutions, ensuring availability of counselling services, gender sensitivity issues, making life skills courses a part of curriculum are required for health and welfare of young people. Most importantly, in all youth related programmes, young people should be involved and engaged to empower them to take informed decisions. 10. state government also organising anti drug sports fair, joint collaboration with neighbouring states Punjab, Uttrakhand, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir to check the flow of drugs in border area, provide information to police, joint secretariat also established at Panchkula for cooperation of the neighbouring States to control the cultivation and smuggling of narcotics. fight the social evil
Conclusion : The use of intoxicants not only negatively impacted the wellbeing of the individuals, but also distorted society and led to heinous crime, poor health, poor performance in education. state should be made “drug free” as it was ruinous for people, especially for youth and society at large. However, drug menace as a social canker can be prevented and curbed. Concerted efforts by the government and community to curb this menace have been put in place. Children in schools have been encouraged to participate in the drug education, “say no drugs, say yes to life” program.. Private investors and other cooperate bodies to get involved in this drug education so as to have a nation free of drugs. The addicts who think all is lost for their life should be encouraged, motivated and given hope and support so as to help them start anew. n a nutshell, drug is dangerous and leads to a total destruction of the wellbeing. Therefore, concerted effort by all should be put in place to stop this menace so as to have a Himachal free of drugs. Sincere and committed efforts of the State Government to make Himachal Pradesh a drug free State was proving a stepping stone in building a healthy and safe society.
By: Pooja Sharda ProfileResourcesReport error
Access to prime resources