Challenges, opportunities, and strategies for addressing India’s drug abuse problem

Towards a compassionate war on drugs

Thich Nhat Hanh, a famous Vietnamese Buddhist monk, in his magnum opus ‘No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering’ says that it is one of the most agonizing situations we can be in is to see someone we love be destroyed by an addiction. We struggle to understand. We feel powerless to help.

One of the most depressing news is to read every day in newspapers and see in the visual media, reports about youth being caught in drug trafficking, drug peddling, and drug consumption, and many others being destroyed by drug addiction. We struggle to understand. We feel powerless to help the upcoming generations, who are getting systematically destroyed. Drugs and substance abuse are one of the most pervasive problems in India, placing a great economic, social, and health burden on society. If not addressed effectively, the country risks losing generations and development opportunities due to the diversion of resources to address this intractable problem.

In lieu of addressing the complexities of new drugs being experimented with by students, like MDMA and Hybrid Ganja, what is needed is the development of effective prevention programs as a part of the public health system. Presently, anti-drug crusaders are heavily focused on conducting marches, marathons, and taking pledges, which are proving to be ineffective and purely cosmetic. What is needed is identifying strategies that can be embedded in the excellent health systems framework that exists in many States for the prevention and management of drug and substance abuse. India’s excellent health management system, combining Ayurveda, Allopathy, and Homeopathy, has the potential to be a trailblazer in drug addiction management.

However, a multi-sectoral approach is needed within the public healthcare system to curb the risk of social, economic, and health crises related to drug and substance abuse. Identifiable strategies will comprise: self-driven, social support, law enforcement, and rehabilitation. Self-driven strategies will involve developing self-esteem, strong convictions, robust involvement in studies, sports, and active engagement in societal welfare projects. Social support means a new kind of joint family system, embracing nuclear families, communities, NGO’s, teachers, and health care professionals. Awareness, counselling, and economic empowerment are important tools for social support, which is strengthened through love, acceptance, and social protection provided by family, community, and non-governmental organisations.

Law enforcement, through arrests, prosecution, and disruption of drug distributions, is an important strategy for enhancing community-police relationships.

Rehabilitation is another identified strategy, with funding needed to provide adequate facilities and human resources to provide such services.

There has been a substantial outcry in the media about the problem of drugs and substance abuse and its rippling effects that echo from many sectors of society today. Families, communities, learning institutions, and places of work undergo agonising consequences due to drug abuse. Complex and varied reasons attributed to drugs and substance abuse include poor family management practices, neighbourhood deterioration, economic deprivation, peer pressure, and environmental factors such as availability of drugs in the community, pricing of the substances, marketing and promotional activities for alcohol and other drugs within the community.

In lieu of the complexities of indulging in drugs and substance abuse and the difficulty and cost of treating individuals already engaged in abuse, the development of effective intervention strategies is being constantly emphasised. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines ‘Prevention’ as an intervention designed to change the social and environmental determinants of drug and substance abuse, including discouraging the initiation of drug abuse and preventing progression into more regular abuse among the at-risk population. The emphasis is on promoting constructive attitudes, norms, beliefs, values, practices, and life choices. Prevention strategies vary from school-based programs, youth outreach programs, community-based Programs, and environmental-based programs. The prevention interventions target the general factors thought to be linked to subsequent substance abuse by teaching broad-
based on personal and social skills.

Treatment strategies identify drugs and substance abuse as a disease that requires care, medication, and permanent behaviour change to create productive members of society. Substance abuse treatment is the most cost-effective way to reduce addiction, improve the health of drug abusers, and relieve the growing burden of drug-related health care costs. These strategies can be based at the family level or at a rehabilitation centre/ hospital.

Law enforcement is founded on the fact that drugs and substance abuse account for most of the criminal activity. Illicit drug and alcohol-related crimes include a broad range of illegal activities: possession or sale of illicit drugs, crimes to obtain money to buy drugs, driving under the influence of alcohol, underage drinking, child abuse, and domestic violence, among others. Drugs and substance enforcement strategies play a role in enforcing the law in a bid to reduce drug availability, incarceration, and conduct problem-oriented policing.

The need for strengthening rehabilitation centres, which are well equipped with enough trained personnel, drugs, and facilities within the communities, is vital to control drug proliferation habits. Further, a multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary approach is necessary to support and integrate the identified strategies to improve effectiveness and efficiency. Mechanisms should also be put in place within the public healthcare system to curb the risk of social, economic, and health crises related to drugs and substance abuse in Kerala.

A paramount need of the hour is to instill in young minds the tremendous power of righteousness. The real challenge is taking an honest look at ourselves, without any crutches. The philosophy of simple living and high thinking is needed in an age of Artificial Intelligence, which is attracting the young generations into thinking that they can be creators.

In the Song Celestial; Bhagavad Gita, verse 16.1-3 the Lord says “O scion of Bharat, these are the saintly virtues of those endowed with a divine nature—fearlessness, purity of mind, steadfastness in spiritual knowledge, charity, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of the sacred books, austerity, and straightforwardness; non-violence, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, restraint from fault-finding, compassion toward all living beings, absence of covetousness, gentleness, modesty, and lack of fickleness; vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, bearing enmity toward none, and absence of vanity”. Here, Lord Shree Krishna describes twenty-six virtues of a saintly nature. These should be cultivated by youth as a part of empowerment for elevating their lives and goals. Artificial Intelligence can never be a substitute for the power of righteousness.

In the Holy Bible, Exodus 14:14, there is a powerful statement that says, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Patience is a great virtue that youth should cultivate in this age of instant gratification. There is no need to seek refuge in external stimuli like drugs, liquor, and gambling. An abiding faith in the power of the Almighty is all that is needed.

The spiritual duty of man is to walk along all the ways of righteousness. God Almighty has in the Holy Quran designated righteousness as a garment. The garment of righteousness is an expression of the Holy Quran (7:27).

Concluding in the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, who states in “For a Future to Be Possible” – “To stop the drug traffic is not the best way to prevent people from using drugs. The best way is to practice the Fifth Precept and to help others practice. Consuming mindfully is the intelligent way to stop ingesting toxins into our consciousness and prevent the malaise from becoming overwhelming. Learning the art of touching and ingesting refreshing, nourishing, and healing elements is the way to restore our balance and transform the pain and loneliness that are already in us. To do this, we have to practice together. The practice of mindful consuming should become a national policy. It should be considered true peace education… Those who are destroying themselves, their families, and their society by intoxicating themselves are not doing it intentionally. Their pain and loneliness are overwhelming, and they want to escape. They need to be helped, not punished. Only understanding and compassion on a collective level can liberate us (78-79).”

It is time to change how we, as a society, address alcohol and drugs misuse and substance use disorders. The public health-based approach aims to address the broad individual, environmental, and societal factors that determine substance misuse and its consequences, to improve the health, safety, and well-being of the entire population. The roles individuals, families, organizations, and communities can play in more effectively addressing this major health issue need to be enunciated as a policy document.

Concluding with a famous Upanishadic Mantra called Mangala Mantra or Shanti Mantra which states:

ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

Transliteration:

Oṃ sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścidduḥ khabhāgbhaveta।
Oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ॥

This mantra is recited at the end of every Homa or a mass Pooja of any Hindu ritual. Praying for global peace and prosperity is really a great and Noble thought. This shows the broad-mindedness of our great Rishis and Rishikas. Our youth need to continue this honourable tradition, in the interest of humanity.

Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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