Menacing drugs

According to statistics, the drug trade at present amounts to Tk 6,000 crore in the country, while the budgetary allocation for the narcotics department stands at Tk 1,063 crore, which evidently falls far short of the requirement. Such disparity evidently causes failure in combating the threat that drugs trafficking poses to our country. Thanks to inadequate anti-narcotic budget and inefficient enforcement mechanism, the concerned authorities have nearly always failed to catch up with the real culprits. They must be better financed, better equipped. Taking the magnitude of the problem into account, we wonder how would it be possible to tackle the situation with so little help in hand.

The poor allocation is actually a cruel reflection of the level of priority we give to the dual problem of drugs trafficking and addiction.

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The number of drug related cases -- a staggering 27,000 are awaiting disposal. It's a big number no doubt, but it's also the tip of the iceberg. We have no doubt that there have been thousands of unreported cases of drug dealing in the country. Though we cry hoarse over the issue of trafficking, the drug barons have managed to stay out of the reach. They continue to mentor the whole business, run the illegal multi-billion dollar trade without getting caught. They must be tracked down, caught and punished severely.

One of the ways to scare them would be to speed up the process of disposing of the pending cases with deterrent punishments meted out to the culprits. According to the government, raids at potential drug dens around the country have resulted in decrease of drug trade. But unless the law enforcement and penal systems are made more dynamic, the menace cannot be effectively deterred.

At the same time, a social movement along with an aggressive media campaign can raise the level of mass awareness about the negative aspects of this dangerous obsession. We have to save our younger generation, the most vulnerable group of victims, from the danger of drugs. We should not keep our eyes shut any longer.

The UN slogan Value yourself, make healthy choices, should be the buzz words for our youngsters today.