Peddling Some Thoughts on Addiction

Editorial:-

It has been 16 years since the United Nations convened a Special Session of its General Assembly to deliberate on the drug problem. The realization that substance abuse had reached alarming figures came much later in Sikkim and the societal involvement in combating it is unfortunately still awaited. Be that as it may, the world observed the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday. There was abundant tokenism expressed in Sikkim also and maybe even some genuine concern. What are known as the “harder drugs” have still not seeped into Sikkim in strength and the abuse of prescription drugs remains the larger worry here. Given that some focus arrived on addiction, Sikkim could do well by brain-storming on how the trafficking of these substances of abuse can be curtailed. Agreed, there is a Sikkim-specific anti-Drugs Act in place now, but there is still very little awareness on it. Also, because the law was framed without taking suggestions from recovered addicts and health workers, it is still not as compassionate as the original draft intended it to be. It would be a good idea to hold a debate on this Act. Not only will this clear a lot of things for the police personnel themselves, but the suggestions and tweaks that might shuffle out of the debate could make this Act really as comprehensive, considerate and effective as a law framed to address addiction should be. The law keepers should also reach out sans prejudice to the recovered addicts and volunteers who work among people suffering from chemical dependency. The laws are invariably in black in white, but the drug route into Sikkim operates in a grey nexus. Only people who have suffered in the hands of this nexus and survived will have the intelligence and commitment to work out the subtleties with which it can be broken. This is actually an urgent requirement because the crackdown on trafficking of substances of abuse in Sikkim is at best earnest; it also needs to be effective. Drug control is after all a shared responsibility and it is time that the law enforcement agencies invited some sharing. On that note, it is also time that parents started getting more involved in the anti-addiction awareness initiatives because every child is already at risk and detached, uninformed parents make them even more vulnerable.