Addressing drugs and child abuse

Prime Minister Imran Khan launched an important project named 'Zindagi' (life) on Monday to combat drug addiction and child abuse, the twin menace far too widespread than is generally recognized. Speaking on the occasion, he noted that while previously drugs could be found in universities now they are present in schools as well. He was also shocked, he said, to learn from the inspectors general of police of Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) that a new synthetic drug called 'ice' was being used by students in expensive elite universities. As for the other issue, he stated with a touch of regret that Pakistan is among top countries where child pornography is high, yet people don't like to talk about it due to shame. And that his government has decided to confront both these issues, exacerbated by mobile phones, on an emergency basis.

The 'Zindagi' project is also based on a mobile application to be used for lodging complaints against drug abuse and creating awareness among parents and teachers about how to protect children from this hazard and ways to tackle it. Furthermore, it offers information on treatment, rehabilitation services, as well as success stories and supportive community ready to mediate on behalf of those who are willing to kick the habit but do not know where to go and whom to ask for help. It indeed is a laudable initiative aimed as it is at reducing the acceptability of illicit drugs. However, if the experience of other countries is any guide, the key prevention is stopping availability. According to the PM, that could not be the responsibility only of the police or any single department (in this case, the Anti-Narcotics Force) but a collective effort by all. Indeed the community has a role to play in this, and awareness through school education about the negative effects of drug use can help. But the problem will not go away unless the availability issue is effectively addressed dealing with illicit drugs or child pornography videos. As Khan himself pointed out criminal elements involved in these nefarious activities are protected by powerful mafias. In this regard he mentioned a case wherein on his orders the KP police had conducted a raid on a drug trafficking den only to find the criminal elements had fled the place because someone in the police had informed them about the coming action. Similar has been the situation in child abuse cases in different areas, especially in Kasur.

So while the Zindagi project together with community involvement is the right approach in reducing the demand for illicit substances, a more effective response has to come from the law enforcement agencies, the police and the ANF. They need to be incentivized to take on drug peddlers and child abusers. That is where the government needs to focus its attention.