Drug addiction is one of the greatest problems of Bangladesh. The young generation and teenagers are high at risk. Drug addiction among boys and girls of Dhaka city is on the rise. Though, boys largely outnumber girls in this case, but more and more urbane girls are falling victim to drug addiction.
What is motivating drug abuse among youth
Not so long ago, a common scenario was boys playing in the field with their friends in the afternoon. Now that’s a rare scenario today. In Dhaka, there is hardly any space for outdoor sports, adventurous activities, or intellectual entertainment. So, the teenagers mostly pass time gossiping. When they need to break free from their mundane life, they seek escape in drugs and substance abusing. That’s how it begins. And due to high availability of drugs, they soon become addicted.
We are taking away the outlets for their energies by constructing buildings everywhere without even the minimal provisions for safe playgrounds. Even in the newer expanses of Dhaka city (for instance Uttara, Purbachal etc.) children’s and teenagers’ priority is never taken into consideration. The ultimate result is: no place for sporting activities, no constructive way for youth to utilize their physical and mental energy.
Influence of Western culture
New generations have embraced the western culture. They celebrate 31st night partying together, where alcohol and very often marijuana is mandatory. Most of the young people of Dhaka city go attend these parties. In fact, among teenagers and youths, it has become somewhat of a matter of stigma to not have taken alcohol, and marijuana (for girls it is mostly cigarettes). It is due to the fact that the so called ‘cool’ guys and girls drink alcohol and smoke marijuana. In a world where individuality is highly discouraged, the good kids who want to avoid such vices have no means but to give in to drugs offered and pushed by their companions so they are regarded one of the cool and smart guys and girls.
Same goes to sex. The western stigma of virginity prevails among the urbane boys and girls of Indian subcontinent. They think it is a great shame to be a virgin past their teenage age. Sex and drugs always played a complementary role for each other. Teenagers usually find it very difficult to move on from a relationship specially if it were physical in nature. So, when they break up they often take drugs as an outlet of their depression.
Media influence
Bangladeshi newspaper, media, TV reporters are very active in this matter. They go everywhere to get an issue of news. They are properly utilizing the constitutional fundamental rights of Article 39[2(b)] (freedom of the press). But I cannot understand why they publish news about drugs with details about the places where to find them.
Through news, teenagers come to know about newly released drugs. For instance, if a medicine producer releases a cough syrup and it has very high sedative effect, the newspapers publish it. Even though such articles are written in negative tone, but it soon gets widespread news and those who never knew of it rush to the pharmacies to buy as many of it as they can so they can abuse it. Over the counter medicine sale without prescription is a common practice in countries in Indian subcontinent including Bangladesh. It should be controlled too.
Also, tv series, movies often show how the protagonists seek escape in drug abuse. Those shows and movies represent protagonists in a very attractive way. Teenagers and youths often want to be like them. So, they follow and accept the ways of those protagonists in dealing with real life crisis. If a protagonist abuse drugs to seek escape from the despair of broken relationship, the young minds also try to seek a similar escape. Parents should always pay attention to what their children watch on television. If you can’t stop them from watching it, at least present a counter logic against the protagonist’s action.
Masked catalysts behind the scene
It is a universally accepted fact that people in today’s world honors only money and power. Even though nobody talks about it in open but in any country politicians, bureaucrats, and corrupted law enforcement officials are the main culprit behind most corruption, drug abuse and other criminal activities. Yet, we salute them, bow our heads to them, and honor them because they are the ones with money and power and because we ourselves value money above anything else. We used to voice against bribery. But being poor is considered a more heinous stigma in society than practicing bribery.
What can we do as concerned parents?
In a condition such as this it is really difficult to fight against drug addiction. If you want to fight it, you will have to face powerful politicians, filthy rich drug dealers whose reach in the power people are way beyond our grasp. But nothing is impossible. As parents we can brought up our children to have strong values, ethics and abhorrence to drugs. We can at least do that, no? And we can voice against drug addiction and shout for capturing drug dealers. Without drug dealers there will be no drugs to buy.
If you are a parent of a toddler, you should raise your voice now. Because this serpent of drug addiction will be even bigger and hungrier by the time your child grows up. And then it would be way more difficult to fight it. If you are a parent of a teenager, keep your child under constant observation, just make sure you don’t suffocate him/her or otherwise depress him/her by constant controlling attitude. Talk softly with your children and always advice them to stay away from drugs and friends who abuse drugs. Raise your voice against drug addiction and drug dealers.
If you are a parent of an addicted child, immediately consult reliable drug rehab centers; if it is a mild case of drug addiction, take your child to a psychotherapist at first might be helpful.
Make sure your child can give account of every single penny that you give him/her for pocket money. Always keep an eye on any behavioral or attitude changes. Try to find out whether there is a solid reason behind those changes.
Conclusion
Drug addiction among boys and girls of Dhaka city and of entire Bangladesh is not anymore a minor issue. It is already a big crisis. It must not be taken lightly. We shouldn’t leave everything in the hands of politicians, bureaucrats, law enforcement officials, and other concerned agencies. As parents we need to get together and voice against it. Your child might have already taken some drug, which you don’t know. It might not be apparent now, or withing the next couple of years, but if s/he has taken drugs, then there is high risk that he might take it again in future, perhaps when he is not a child anymore.