Drug abuse is posing a serious threat to the youth of the state, which need to be curbed, says OP Sharma, Ex advisor of HP Nasha Nivaran Board.
Shimla:
OP Sharma, Ex advisor of HP Nasha Nivaran Board and former Narcotics Control Bureau officer has raised a serious concern over growing drug trade in Himachal for the past few years. Apart from Charas and Opium, now synthetic drugs and heroin are making inroads in the state, said OP Sharma, during an interaction with media persons here today.
He said that youth of state are easy targets for drug offenders in Himachal, where they were providing supply of drugs to drug addicts at their homes. To check drug trade in Himachal, there is a need for collective efforts from the state government and society for it.
To keep a tab on drug lords in Himachal, around 250 trained officers and employees are required to strengthen the State Anti- Narcotics Task Force. They will have to be prepared against the drug mafia by giving them commando training.
“Drug trade is spreading rapidly across the state. Apart from charas and opium, now the young generation is getting addicted to heroin and other deadly drugs. During the previous BJP regime in Himachal, a Nasha Nivaran board was constituted to deal with drug menace. But, this board is dysfunctional for a long time, which should be made active for the purpose” he added.
Sharma said that “the integrated drug prevention policy that was made during his tenure as an advisor of the board could not be implemented yet by the government. In Himachal, illicit trade of heroin has increased so much that it is ruining the coming generations. In Mandi city alone heroin worth Rs. 4 to Rs. 8 crores are being sold. In Sundernagar the situation is even worse, where heroin worth Rs. 3 crore is sold within fifteen minutes.”
“In the coming time another drug is going to come which is fifty to hundred times more deadly than heroin. The drug network has become so widespread that drugs are being supplied to the homes of drug addicts” he remarked.
“The government does not have any data about drug addicts on how dire the situation is in the state. No survey has been done for the purpose. According to a rough estimate, around one lakh families in Himachal are struggling with the problem of drug addiction” he added.
“Becoming addicted to drugs at a young age is causing mental health problems among the youth. The Nasha Nivaran Board constituted by the previous government has been closed. At the same time, funding for drug prevention has also stopped. The condition of drug de-addiction centers is also not good. Patients are beaten there. Even drugs are supplied at many places. This is not the work of the police alone to check drug trade, we all have to be alert for it” he asserted.
Drug addiction has now become a global problem, which is happening in China and America. Same situation is emerging in Himachal also. There is an urgent need to check drug trade in the state.
