Drug addiction
Shamsul Alam Monir, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka
Drug addiction is not a new phenomenon in the history of criminal activities in Bangladesh. Though it was a limited problem in the early nineties, in the recent times the rapidly increasing number of addicted youths proves that it is spreading all over the country. The adolescents are the first victims of this illegal and destructive booming business. A few years back Bangladesh was identified as a transit point for drug traffickers and not as a major user country. Considering the social values and norms, religious mindset and massive poverty of common people the drug traffickers did not think seriously to expand their market in this country. But the cheap prices of phensidyl attract the youngsters and it was a profitable item for drug peddlers . Now all the types of expensive and cheap drugs are available in the luxury flats to dirty slums. Drug market has passed its first stage of establishing networks and now old customers are motivating freshers to buy and take drugs. Consequently, the parents of young sons and daughters are so much worried about their future. The drug peddlers have already captured the educational institutions as their promising business area. In general, the young people are very enthusiastic about taking anything new. If drug peddlers can convince one young student, it is possible to get a large number of students through him. In this context, the real substance abuse scenario in our higher educational institutions like universities can be mentioned. At night, academic buildings of universities are the safe places for taking drugs. The sentries are helpless to prevent the addicts due to the thereat posed by the derailed addicted students. This reality is common to almost all public universities in Bangladesh. The prevailing situation is deteriorating rapidly due to inaction on the part of the government and the civil society. It is reported that in some cases the government employees are engaged in facilitating the drug business. Most of the guardians are not so conscious about their children's movement and with whom they are mixing. This generation is very fast and technical by virtue of modern technology, while their parents are in the dark regarding this matter. Timely steps can check such activities. Otherwise, the lives of a huge number of youths will be totally ruined.
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