Salam Buledi
In 2017 I got a chance to teach English Language to the students of Alandoor, a far-flung area of Tehsil Buleda District Kech, only for nine months. In first ten days of admission call, one could see a swarm of students in that institution to secure admission in a great profusion. Believe me, the strange conglomeration of students in such a large number was the source of motivation behind my commitment to devote more months to those students.
On the ninth of January, I started the classes with a keen interest, and on the other side, the students were under cloud nine to be a part of a long-awaited institution- their quest for being educated, learned and knowledgeable, was conspicuous in the whites of their eyes. They had many more good qualities that I was aware of, along with those good qualities they also carried some bad qualities that I wasn’t aware of, which I came to know after receiving a complaint from a girl student.
Sir we are tired from the leftover of Tobacco, Hoth, J.M and Cheeni Kenni inside our desks every day, kindly thwart the student’s entrance in class with materials like, Hoth, JM, Tobacco and Cigarette
Knowing this wasn’t less than a tragedy for me. I was only left with the option of searching before letting them enter the class. So, on the next day, I searched through their pockets one by one, what I found was unbelievable. Their pockets were full of materials like JM, Hoth, and Cigarette, no doubt that weird attitude of students diverted my mind from just teaching them English to start a fight against drug addiction.
At first, I planned for a walk, which was supported by many students of mine, and some local heads, mullahs, shopkeepers, and teachers. In result of that campaign, which was against drug addiction and drug-pushers, some sincere and responsible shopkeepers promised not to sell such items in future. After that walk, I was obsessed to know that what causes the youth between 13 to 28 years old to take drugs. To come to know the causes, I happened to interview many drug-addicts, what they expressed in response of their interviews, is also shocking.
Mr. Naeem, who is a drug addict, said “my fortune caused me to take drugs, you know- in fact, it was not my fortune but my stupidity. When I was 14 or 15 I saw my friends taking drugs, form there I became inspired to take drugs with them, first they provided me free drugs and when I became an addict, they asked me to bring money. And so my journey of drug addiction began”. Why don’t you give up taking drugs? I Asked. “It is easy to say but it is hard to give it up, its pains are sharper than the labor pains,” Said Naeem. So, it became obvious that what caused Naeem to take drugs was the bad company of his friends. Would that he would only have been Naeem but alas! There were many drug addicts like Naeem. In order to quench my thirst for knowing that what caused the youth to take drugs led me to conduct more interviews with different drug addicts.
After Naeem, I interviewed another drug addict on the condition of anonymity, I assured him that his name would not be made public then he agreed to respond to my questions. What caused you to take drugs? I asked. “Well, there are many causes, such as I was brought up in a family where all the men were already drug addicts and drug-peddlers, even three of my uncles are deeply addicted in taking drugs, now you tell me how I could remain ineffective within them,” he said. How you entered the world of drug addiction, I asked. “He was my own uncle who first offered me drugs on my marriage in order to last longer in bed and since then we share and take drugs together on daily basis. What if sometimes you don’t get drugs to take? I asked. “The universe comes narrower and narrower as if it will be about to engulf me. I will be suffering from severe pains, to relieve these pains I ask my cousins to share some drugs, if they share that will be helpful, if they don’t than the pains will prompt me to go for robing, duffing in farms, vehicle-jacking and shopliftings. No doubt, the absence of drugs leads us to kleptomania,” he said.
“Youth of region is in bad hands, they are perpetually wreathed in drugs. It is still nothing, what we can foresee in upcoming days is devastating. We need to plan from today to counter this deep-rooted epidemic of drug addiction or otherwise we should wait to see our children taking drugs,” said Dr.Rahim Jan a social activist.
There can be numerous reasons which cause the youth to take drugs: some take drugs to relieve their pains, some take drugs to release their boredom, some take drugs in reaction of harsh parental behaviors towards them at their homes, some take drugs as a fashion, some take drugs to release their stress and depression, some take drugs to relieve themselves from unwanted conditions and even some take drugs with a view to increase their intellectual creativity, which science says is a false conception.
In consideration of interview, one of the drug addicts said “I found much respect among the drug addicts than from the family members, I was always berated by my own father, in reaction of my father’s attitude I started taking drugs though I am not happy with the life that I am living but what can I do is only to indulge in taking drugs.”
Consequently to uproot this pestilence from the society some serious actions are needed to be taken. Every local representative down to the Mullah, teachers, Social activists, organizations and the local heads of families should play their role to avert the youth from the disastrous tides of drug addiction. In educational institutions, teachers should deliver lectures against drug addiction in order to infuse the minds of students with hatred and should demonstrate walkabouts or conduct seminars, where students should have to be educated about the side effects of drugs that how drugs damage our minds and nervous systems. Parents at homes should maintain humble and soft relationships with their children. By doing this I hope, we will be able to keep the emerging youth away from the virulence of drugs.
The writer is a student of M.Phil. in History from GC University Lahore.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and Balochistan Voices not necessarily agrees with them.
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