FAISALABAD City News

Speakers worried over
increasing drug addiction among youth
From Our Correspondent
FAISALABAD: Speakers at a seminar showed their concern over rapidly increasing use of drugs among the youth. Women drug addicts’ ratio was also showing upward trend at a large pace.
The speakers called for raising awareness among masses as 4.25 million people in the country are drug addicts, while 6.7 million people aged 15-64 years are using drugs over the past 12 months.
The seminar titled ‘Drug abuse prevention among youth’ was arranged by the Institute of Agri Resource Economics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, and the Ministry of Narcotics Control.
UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan told the audience effective measures were needed to curb the menace in society. He said awareness must be boosted especially among the youth about the effects of drugs on human body.
He said the teaching community, parents, religious scholars, and others must expedite their role in creating awareness among masses. He said social injustices, unemployment, etc, were also among the reasons of increasing drug addiction in the county.
Narcotic Control Division Deputy Secretary Iftikhar Anjum said all-out efforts were being made to control addiction and eliminate the menace from the country. He said the youth should come forward to raise awareness among their friends about the hazards of drugs.
Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof Dr Iqbal Zafar said the increasing population was creating social issues. He urged the Narcotics Division to expedite their drive against the seller of drugs to overcome the issue through the root-cause.
Narcotics Control Division Deputy Director Ayesha Siddiqa said drug abuse is also increasing among women, and they seek comfort in dugs such as sleeping pills, cough syrup, solitude etc. She said Afghanistan was producing 90 per cent of world opium.
Institute Director Prof Dr Muhammad Ashfaq said drug victims must be treated timely so that they could lead a healthy life.