International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

Today, June 26 is observed as International Day against Drug abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The global war on drugs began in 1961, when the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was established in order to create a "drug-free world." With a view to strengthen these arrangements,  by Resolution 42/112 of 7 December 1987, the General Assembly decided to observe 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse. The purpose is to raise awareness of the ill effects of drug abuse and address health and social issues of the society particularly of the younger lot.

SPEED– Society for Poor’s Education & Economic Development under the leadership of Dr. R.L. Jassi, IPS (Retired) and Shri Janak Chauhan, Senior Bank Officer (Retired) has taken up the gauntlet and has decided to observe the Day in Jalandhar on June 26 in cooperation with some other like-minded and fellow organizations. It is a laudable effort and must be supported. It is all the more important to join hands in tackling the drug problems prevalent in poor and young segments of the society. In fact, it is a war against poverty and social backwardness.

There is no easy solution to the problem of drug abuse as it is related to human lives. It has psychological and human instinctive aspects. All the religions and spiritual leaders speak against intoxicants. The media, academia, social leaders and the medical communities advise against the drug abuse. But in practice and on ground, the situation is getting bad to worse. It is a point to ponder upon. Mere shouting from the top will not work, it seems. Somebody has said “No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we’re looking for the sources of our troubles, we shouldn’t test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.”  I think the approach to tackle the problem should be two fold. On the one hand, education and information on the undesirable effects of drug abuse and on the other, propagation of temperate and moderate use of intoxicants is, perhaps, advisable. It starts from home as somebody has rightly said “If you want to fight a war on drugs, sit down at your own kitchen table and talk to your own children.”

Let us start from today-the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.