Drugs - misspelled medicine

Intellectuals, artistes, students and other segments of society are now discussing now about drugs. The very word is sending signals of fear in the minds of people. Point to note, society is talking about it now, but the malady in neither new nor occurring for the first time.

The Act of Prohibition of Narcotics passed in 1985, is like any other one against social evils like atrocities on weaker sections, dowry, child labour, atrocities on women and so on. Apparently, the seizure of Narcotics has increased 455 per cent since the act has been passed.

Out of three lakhs arrests only one lakh are booked and less than twenty-five thousand are convicted. Sensation is different from saving the society. The situation on the issue of drugs is so blatantly upside down regarding the implementation of the rules and regulations.

The word drug is any substance, natural or synthetic that affects the metabolism of many organs of the human system and the conspicuous being brain.

Historically all were considered medicines and administered by doctors. Hence, they were definitely medicines not used in the way the drugs are abused.

The effects, they produce to forget pain and alleviate suffering are later used by patients, for trivial sufferings. These drugs produce both physical and psychological dependence making the habit to break becoming difficult.

The disturbances could be seen in the form of depression, hallucinations or stimulation. It is not to be seen as an individual problem but as multidimensional, affecting family, work place and the society. Individuals become reckless, inattentive, untidy and irritable with profound neglect.

It is reflected in school or office with inability to fulfil obligations, delay and late reporting to duty etc. What affects family and society is beyond anybody’s guess; crime, divorce, violence and creating bad neighbourhood so on.

The roots of the evil are somewhere else. Like forbidden apple, human mind always runs after what is denied and said detrimental. It is not an anomaly for addictions to co-exist but are co-morbidities.

Smoking, drinking are good friends and all crimes are preceded by smoking and drinking. Drug addictions invariably make people suffer poverty and indulge in thefts and crime.

Many become addicts by peer pressure, stress, loneliness and loveless-ness. The cure is not in any one’s hand nor by single formula. Like any known disease drug addiction is a chronic one requiring long term therapy and counselling.

Any interruption in interventional measures leads to recurrence with serious consequences. Blaming, condemning, and arrests do not help. But let us arrest availability, distributing channels from alcohol to amphetamines.

Family values are to be restored, Compassion and concern should be a major lesson in all schools and colleges. Instead of arguments we need to nurture acceptance and understanding.

Medical profession, whose aim is prevention and later cure is now totally transformed into cure but not care. Care is now in the hands of parents, teachers, psychologists and the elderly.

De-addiction is cosmetic in tackling the issue. While we need to care for the affected, we need to ensure there shall be no new recruiters into this evil. The current Health policy fails to focus on this growing malady.

But, interestingly made a mission statement that the entire economy and policy is directed towards happiness of the people. If it is so the revenue source, requires attention. It would be laudable if development of industries, agriculture and consumer products are considered as major sources of economy.

Today many States thrive on the revenues of Excise and say they are meant for welfare measures. What an irony! On one side, we push people into poverty and sickness and on the other hand we say we introduce new welfare measure for the poor.

How can alcohol, tobacco be considered as legal drugs of addiction and limiting marijuana, cocaine, LSD etc. as illegal?Consider this: The major cause of crime and domestic or street violence is the result of chronic alcoholism. We are working in a paradoxical developmental system.

Schools and colleges are accredited by their infrastructure and academic performance, but have no credit for humanism and no teacher is recognised for human excellence. A country like India is lamenting on seeing the deterioration of human mind and decay in personality.

It is appropriate for us to rewrite on our hearts ‘Awake, arise….’ The great words of Swamy Vivekananda. (The writer is director, Global Medical Education & Research, Global Hospitals.)

By Dr KS Ratnakar