Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed: World Anti-Drug Day 2021 is being celebrated in Bangladesh today, Saturday (26 June) like all over the world. This day is also called theInternational Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The 42nd session of the UN General Assembly in 1987declared 26June every year as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to protect the world from the terrible effects of drugs. Regarding the risky relationship between smoking and drugs, the World Health Organization announced last year 2020 that Bangladesh is not a drug producing country but our youth are becoming addicted to drugs due to illegal entry of drugs. The government has already launched a campaign against drugs and the Prime Minister has declared zero tolerance against drugs. However, emphasis is being laid on conducting anti-drug propaganda activities through Facebook and other social media.

Drug addiction is one of the most terrible diseases of modern civilization. Alcohol has destroyed the lives and families of countless successful scholars, intellectuals, technicians and similar successful people in the world. This problem has becoming more evident day by day. As soon as a member of a family becomes addicted to drugs, a horrible environment descends on that family. The problems that surround drug addiction can lead a family to disaster. The drug problem spreads from the family field to the boundaries of society. In the end, it became a state problem. What is a drug? A drug is a substance that is addictive when played. Cannabis, Phensidyl, Charas, Cannabis, Rose, Jorda, Heroin, Pathedrine, Alcohol, Yaba and all other drugs are included. When someone becomes addicted to these drugs, he is called a drug addict. The Bangladesh Narcotics Control Act, 1989, defines a drug addict as a person who is physically or mentally dependent on drugs or a habitual drug user. The World Health Organization thus defines drug addiction. Drugs are harmful to individuals and society and are produced by repeated use of drugs (natural and synthetic.)

Why this addiction? One of the reasons that lead people to drug addiction is abnormal competition, social instability, tension, loneliness, loneliness and inability to fight failure in an environment of changing family structures. However, the main reason for the increase in the number of drug addicts is the easy availability of drugs. Rapid urbanization, population growth, massive development and use of internet and information technology, lack of social awareness etc. are also responsible for increasing drug problem. Family quarrels, family broken up Due to divorce, love and the rate of drug addiction is also increasing due to frustration from job failure. Most drug users blame peer pressure or peer pressure as the main `pool factor`. Curiosity in many cases serves as an important reason for taking drugs for the first time.

At a Glance Drug Statistics in Bangladesh: -About 7.5 million people are addicted to drugs in Bangladesh. From May 3, 2018 to 20 June this year, RAB alone has recovered drugs worth Tk 1,034 million from all over the country. In these two years, 34,517 drug dealers have been arrested. 84 kg of heroin was recovered. One crore 52 lakh 23 thousand 73 pieces of yaba pills, two lakh 74 thousand 303 bottles of phencidyl, eight thousand 554 kg of cannabis, about two kg of cocaine, six lakh 47 thousand 214 injectable drugs and various types of drugs were recovered. In March this year, there were 7,625 drug cases across the country. In April, the number of cases dropped to 1,640. The number of cases in May was two thousand 465. A large part of the unemployed population of the country is also addicted to drugs. Of the total drug addicts, 48 ​​percent are educated and 40 percent are uneducated. About 57 percent of drug addicts are sex offenders, of whom 7 percent are infected with the HIV virus. Around one lakh 60 thousand drug dealers are running their business across the country, out of which 27,300 are women.

32 types of drugs: - At present, 32 types of drugs are being used in the country. The drugs recovered so far under different names are heroin, marijuana, distilled liquor, domestic liquor, foreign liquor, beer, rectified spirits, caddine, phencidyl, tari, pathedrin, TD Jessic, cannabis, codeine tablets, fermented, wash (Java). Benogenic Injection (Buprenorphine), Terahydrobanabil, XLmuger, Morphine, Yaba, ISPIL, Viagra, Sanagra, Toluene, Potassium Permanganate, Methyl, Ethanol and Ketone. Inoctin, cedaxine, various sleeping pills, and painkillers including Zambak or burning lizard tails Information has been found that someone is intoxicated. Different causes of drug addiction have been identified:

1. Peer pressure, 2. Getting drugs at hand means the availability of drugs, 3. Unemployment and failure at work 4. Socio-economic instability 5. Ignorance about the evils of drugs  6. Decline of religious and moral values ​​in society 7. Family quarrels 8. Medical drug addiction  9. Curiosity  10. Smoking, etc.

Not to mention that cigarettes are the guru of drug addiction. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the risk of coronavirus infection in drug addicts and smokers as "serious". The study found that 98 percent of drug addicts are smokers. That is, they start their addiction by smoking. Later, they became addicted to marijuana, phencidyl, yaba, heroin and cocaine. Drug use is very harmful. It severely damages a person`s personal life and social life. Regular drug use has a negative effect on a person`s mood, judgment and self-control, high levels of emotion, etc. Due to which personal problems as well as family, social and economic problems are created. Let`s not know what psychological damage is caused by drug use. * Deterioration of relationship: - Regular drug use changes a person`s mood quickly. As a result, they get a little annoyed and angry, which leads to the deterioration of their relationships with others and even the formation of hostile relationships with some. In our country, it is often heard that family members have been tortured by drug addicts. *Loss of judgment: - As a result of regular drug use, a person`s healthy thinking-consciousness is completely lost. Due to which the ability to properly judge, evaluate or analyze and comprehend any event or situation or any subject is not normal. They can`t make the right decision at the right time because of the loss of judgment. They can hesitant about anything. As a result, their self-confidence decreases and their sense of self-worth disappear. They are easily involved in various misdeeds of the society. * Losing self-control: - A drug addict has no control over himself. Even though he realizes that what he is doing is wrong, he cannot stop himself from doing wrong. And gradually his level of injustice increases, yet he cannot turn himself away from the path of injustice.* Anxiety: -There is always an anxiety, worry, restlessness among people who take drugs regularly. Their mindset changes rapidly. Such as: This is very happy again this is very anxious. As a result, he cannot do any work with concentration. * Loss of pleasure in work: - A person who takes drugs is not encouraged in any work. His joy in every aspect of life is gradually lost. He is no longer happy or interested in doing any other work. * He gets involved in dangerous work: -Drugs gradually start doing dangerous work.

For example: reckless driving on the road, violation of traffic laws, etc. will increase day by day. This leads to road accidents and untimely deaths. Finally, smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by up to 14 times. Public health experts, including the World Health Organization, have repeatedly warned that smokers, tobacco and drug addicts suffer from a variety of health problems, including complex and difficult diseases, and are at high risk of corona virus infection and death. It is time to heal through treatment. And the reasons why a person can become addicted to drugs must be identified and eliminated. The easy availability of drugs must be destroyed. Let`s build a drug free Bangladesh together.

Author: Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed is the editor and publisher of Daily Shastho Tathya