Just say no
Humans have always used drugs, probably as part of their evolutionary and nutritional heritage. However, this previous biological adaptation is unlikely to be so in the modern world, in which 2 billion adults (48% of the adult population) are users of alcohol, 1.1 billion adults (29% of the adult population) are smokers of cigarettes, and 185 million adults (4.5% of the adult population) are users of illicit drugs. There has never been a time in human history when so many lives have depended on finding the next dose in time.
Global situation
Illegal drug trafficking constitutes 8% of total international trade, and the United Nations estimates the global trade in illicit drugs to be worth $400 billion a year. Traffic patterns tend to follow drug types and country of origin. Cocaine trafficking, for example, begins in the Andean region and spreads northward through Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean region to end-points in North America, Europe, and elsewhere. Major heroin trafficking originates in South-west and South-east Asia, with final processing of the consumable product close to the point of origin. The route of distribution involves many countries and territories, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and China. Some 162 million people are addict to cannabis, 25 million people to amphetamines, and almost 10 million people to ecstasy. The number of opiate abusers is estimated at some 16 million people, of which 11 million are heroin abusers, and 13 million people are cocaine users. Drug abuse and health effects
Recent informal estimates are that perhaps 200,000 drug injection-related deaths may occur per annum, based on the estimated size of the current world population of injection drug abusers of approximately 5.3 million. It is estimated that the number of HIV infections among injection drug users worldwide has risen to 3.3 million. The most serious medical consequences of cocaine abuse include heart trouble, strokes, renal failure, respiratory arrest, neuronal destruction, and sudden death. Drugs cause malnutrition and compromise the functions of various areas of the brain, leading to progressive lack of attention, impulsivity, execution, memory, motivation, and decision making. Another common danger is impotency. During pregnancy, drugs can have very strong adverse reactions in the unborn child, which can kill the baby and mother or lead to lifelong health problems. Drugs and crime
There is close connection between crime, violence, and drug use. A study findings on 3,000 arrestees in 14 US cities in 1989 found drug-positive for cocaine for a high percentage of persons in New York (76%), Philadelphia (74%), Columbia (65%), Indianapolis (26%) and San Antonio (24%). Economic costs
Substance-abuse related cases tend to be more expensive to treat than the average hospital case, accounting for 23 percent, or nearly one fourth, of the total Medicare payments for hospital care in the US. Furthermore, Medicare spent over $13 billion of its $57 billion inpatient short-stay hospital expenditures on substance-abuse related care. These amounts exceed the 1 out of 5 dollars spent in the Medicaid program for substance-abuse related conditions. The economic cost of drug abuse in the United States was estimated at $180.9 billion in 2002 due to criminal justice system activities, including productivity losses, expenditures on health services, costs of premature mortality, and therapies for HIV. In Bangladesh, the average cost of drugs per person was from $1.9 to $3.1 per day, or from $707 to $1,135 per year. Geographical vulnerability of Bangladesh
Bangladesh is located between the Golden Crescent to the west, comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, and the Golden Triangle to the east, comprising Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Afghanistan remains the largest cultivator of illicit opium poppy in the world, accounting for approximately 87% of illicit opium worldwide, and amounts to one third of its GDP. Myanmar is the world's second largest producer of illicit opium, with annual production of 1,090 metric tonnes. By far the most important drug-threat for Banglaesh is from India. India's large and fairly advanced chemical industry manufactures a wide range of chemicals, including precursor chemicals acetic anhydrate (AA), ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, and other chemicals which can be diverted for the manufacture of illicit narcotics. Indian opium stocks now exceed minimum requirements, almost tripling between 1999 to 2003, from a stock of 509 metric tons in 1999-2000 to 1776 metric tons in 2005-06. Most of India's brown sugar heroin comes from diverted licit Indian opium and is locally manufactured and transhifted in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. India produces methaqualone (mandrax), psychotropic pharmaceuticals (LOPPS), and both organic and synthetic and extremely harmful phensydil, which are supplied to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Middle East and Nepal. Within the bordering localities of India, there are a number of small, medium, or even large factories, producing phensydil. Drug situation in Bangladesh
Because of its geo-poilitical situation and porous border, Bangladesh has turned into a country which is both a consumer of and a transit route for illicit drugs to international markets. Bangladesh produces opium and cananbis, though in minute quantity, in Bandarban district along the Myanmar border, the northeastern region and in southern silt islands. Drug abuse and addiction have become a growing phenomenon in Bangladesh, especially in cities. It has affected people from all walks of life. Unofficial estimates of the number of illicit drug users show more than 2 million, including women, and the age group with the highest frequency of drug use is 18-35 years. The prevalence of illicit drug use was 4 per cent: cannabis (3%), phensydil (0.8%), heroin (0.3%), and charas (0.3%), and is on the rise. The most commonly injected drug is buprenorphine (Tidigesic). A national survey data indicates that HIV incidence among IDUs jumped from 1.8% in 2001 to more than 4% in 2004. In one Dhaka "hotspot" the prevalence has jumped to 8.9%, indicating the start of a concentrated epidemic among this group. Another study found marked increase of sero-prevalence of markers of hepatitis among IDUs. Drug addiction, a decaying menace, is not only injurious to an individual but also imperils the health of the entire social fabric and national development, with fast cascading impact. Drug abuse is responsible for lost wages, soaring health-care costs, broken families, increased complicated diseases, deteriorating community living, and loss of productive force. Many people in the country are improperly informed about the potentially devastating affects of drugs. There should be massive campaign to spread the understanding about the damaging effects of narcotics. In order to reverse the trend of addiction in Bangladesh, it is important to address the endemic poverty, absence of economic opportunities, and the social ills. We must declare an emergency war on drug addiction in its "highest priority" to save the country from imminent self-destruction, and fight all together hand in hand to say just say no to illicit drugs.
Illegal drug trafficking constitutes 8% of total international trade, and the United Nations estimates the global trade in illicit drugs to be worth $400 billion a year. Traffic patterns tend to follow drug types and country of origin. Cocaine trafficking, for example, begins in the Andean region and spreads northward through Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean region to end-points in North America, Europe, and elsewhere. Major heroin trafficking originates in South-west and South-east Asia, with final processing of the consumable product close to the point of origin. The route of distribution involves many countries and territories, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and China. Some 162 million people are addict to cannabis, 25 million people to amphetamines, and almost 10 million people to ecstasy. The number of opiate abusers is estimated at some 16 million people, of which 11 million are heroin abusers, and 13 million people are cocaine users. Drug abuse and health effects
Recent informal estimates are that perhaps 200,000 drug injection-related deaths may occur per annum, based on the estimated size of the current world population of injection drug abusers of approximately 5.3 million. It is estimated that the number of HIV infections among injection drug users worldwide has risen to 3.3 million. The most serious medical consequences of cocaine abuse include heart trouble, strokes, renal failure, respiratory arrest, neuronal destruction, and sudden death. Drugs cause malnutrition and compromise the functions of various areas of the brain, leading to progressive lack of attention, impulsivity, execution, memory, motivation, and decision making. Another common danger is impotency. During pregnancy, drugs can have very strong adverse reactions in the unborn child, which can kill the baby and mother or lead to lifelong health problems. Drugs and crime
There is close connection between crime, violence, and drug use. A study findings on 3,000 arrestees in 14 US cities in 1989 found drug-positive for cocaine for a high percentage of persons in New York (76%), Philadelphia (74%), Columbia (65%), Indianapolis (26%) and San Antonio (24%). Economic costs
Substance-abuse related cases tend to be more expensive to treat than the average hospital case, accounting for 23 percent, or nearly one fourth, of the total Medicare payments for hospital care in the US. Furthermore, Medicare spent over $13 billion of its $57 billion inpatient short-stay hospital expenditures on substance-abuse related care. These amounts exceed the 1 out of 5 dollars spent in the Medicaid program for substance-abuse related conditions. The economic cost of drug abuse in the United States was estimated at $180.9 billion in 2002 due to criminal justice system activities, including productivity losses, expenditures on health services, costs of premature mortality, and therapies for HIV. In Bangladesh, the average cost of drugs per person was from $1.9 to $3.1 per day, or from $707 to $1,135 per year. Geographical vulnerability of Bangladesh
Bangladesh is located between the Golden Crescent to the west, comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, and the Golden Triangle to the east, comprising Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Afghanistan remains the largest cultivator of illicit opium poppy in the world, accounting for approximately 87% of illicit opium worldwide, and amounts to one third of its GDP. Myanmar is the world's second largest producer of illicit opium, with annual production of 1,090 metric tonnes. By far the most important drug-threat for Banglaesh is from India. India's large and fairly advanced chemical industry manufactures a wide range of chemicals, including precursor chemicals acetic anhydrate (AA), ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, and other chemicals which can be diverted for the manufacture of illicit narcotics. Indian opium stocks now exceed minimum requirements, almost tripling between 1999 to 2003, from a stock of 509 metric tons in 1999-2000 to 1776 metric tons in 2005-06. Most of India's brown sugar heroin comes from diverted licit Indian opium and is locally manufactured and transhifted in Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. India produces methaqualone (mandrax), psychotropic pharmaceuticals (LOPPS), and both organic and synthetic and extremely harmful phensydil, which are supplied to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Middle East and Nepal. Within the bordering localities of India, there are a number of small, medium, or even large factories, producing phensydil. Drug situation in Bangladesh
Because of its geo-poilitical situation and porous border, Bangladesh has turned into a country which is both a consumer of and a transit route for illicit drugs to international markets. Bangladesh produces opium and cananbis, though in minute quantity, in Bandarban district along the Myanmar border, the northeastern region and in southern silt islands. Drug abuse and addiction have become a growing phenomenon in Bangladesh, especially in cities. It has affected people from all walks of life. Unofficial estimates of the number of illicit drug users show more than 2 million, including women, and the age group with the highest frequency of drug use is 18-35 years. The prevalence of illicit drug use was 4 per cent: cannabis (3%), phensydil (0.8%), heroin (0.3%), and charas (0.3%), and is on the rise. The most commonly injected drug is buprenorphine (Tidigesic). A national survey data indicates that HIV incidence among IDUs jumped from 1.8% in 2001 to more than 4% in 2004. In one Dhaka "hotspot" the prevalence has jumped to 8.9%, indicating the start of a concentrated epidemic among this group. Another study found marked increase of sero-prevalence of markers of hepatitis among IDUs. Drug addiction, a decaying menace, is not only injurious to an individual but also imperils the health of the entire social fabric and national development, with fast cascading impact. Drug abuse is responsible for lost wages, soaring health-care costs, broken families, increased complicated diseases, deteriorating community living, and loss of productive force. Many people in the country are improperly informed about the potentially devastating affects of drugs. There should be massive campaign to spread the understanding about the damaging effects of narcotics. In order to reverse the trend of addiction in Bangladesh, it is important to address the endemic poverty, absence of economic opportunities, and the social ills. We must declare an emergency war on drug addiction in its "highest priority" to save the country from imminent self-destruction, and fight all together hand in hand to say just say no to illicit drugs.
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