KARACHI: Expressing concern over the growing incidence of drug abuse, especially among students in Pakistan, speakers at a seminar held in connection with the International Day of Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking called for urgent measures to tackle the menace.

They also identified exam anxiety and stress as major factors pushing students to use drugs and called upon parents and teachers to provide support for them.

The seminar was organised at the Dow Medical College’s auditorium by the university’s psychiatry department.

Speaking at the programme, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Vice Chancellor Prof Muhammad Saeed Quraishy stated that drug addiction had reached alarming levels in Pakistan and, if immediate actions were not taken, it would destroy the nation’s future.

Action being taken against drug peddlers active on Ojha campus, says DUHS VC

“The youth are among the most vulnerable groups to substance abuse, and strategies are needed to protect them from this menace,” he said.

Action being taken against drug peddlers active on Ojha campus, says DUHS VC

He added that the university was currently engaged in efforts against a group of drug peddlers reportedly active on its Ojha campus. “The situation indicates how pressing the issue is, requiring support from all stakeholders, including parents.”

He cited a national survey conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), according to which 6.7 million people in Pakistan, or nine per cent of the population, were addicted to various substances, including tobacco and alcohol.

“The number of individuals affected by cannabis [hashish, marijuana, bhang, etc.] and amphetamines (ice and other stimulants also known as psychostimulants) is rapidly increasing worldwide. The World Drug Report 2022 says that there were 284 million drug users in the world in the year 2020,” he said.

In her speech, DMC principal Prof Saba Sohail emphasised the need to help out students who fall prey to drug abuse.

“Instead of ignoring or ridiculing students who demonstrate unusual behaviour, we need to focus on their treatment and provide counselling so that they can return to their normal routine,” she said.

Retired Brigadier Shoaib Ahmed, the head of the Dr A.Q. Khan Institute of Behavioural Sciences, said everyone, including students joining a professional institution, should undergo a psychological assessment aimed at identifying mental health issues, if any, at an early stage.

Senior psychiatrist Prof Iqbal Afridi said efforts were being made worldwide to reduce mental pressure on students who often took up drugs to overcome exam anxiety and other pressures.

Describing drug addiction as a disease, Dr Washdev Amar, head of DUHS’ psychiatry department, said the victims should be looked after with compassion and provided proper counselling.

“The release of a chemical called dopamine from the brain leads to feelings of pleasure and tranquilly,” he said. “An imbalance in dopamine release increases mental pressure. Initially, individuals using drugs find relief, but gradually, a chemical imbalance occurs, necessitating treatment.”

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2023