Rising Tide of Drug Addiction Among Pakistani Youth

As the growing poverty and joblessness plague Pakistan's youth, a vast majority of them are succumbing to the lure of addictive drugs, with alarming rates of new addicts joining the army of drug users every year. According to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), approximately 9 million people in Pakistan are already trapped in the vicious cycle of drug addiction, with their numbers growing at a staggering rate of 0.6 million per year. The situation is further exacerbated by the lack of healthy recreational outlets, societal taboos, and peer pressure at schools, which is driving the youth towards drug addiction.

Key Takeaways:

• Approximately 9 million people in Pakistan are already trapped in the vicious cycle of drug addiction, with their numbers growing at a rate of 0.6 million per year.
• 90% of drug addicts in Pakistan are males, while 10% are females.
• A vast majority of new addicts belong to the younger generation who are hooked on narcotics through their friends, casual acquaintances, drug pushers, and, sometimes, family members.
• Poverty and joblessness are the major reasons for drug addiction in youth, with jobless youth finding refuge in drug addiction.
• Experts say poverty and substance abuse go hand in hand, with a direct connection between the two.
• Poverty in youth is a global phenomenon, with an estimated 209 million young people living on less than US$ 1 a day and 515 million young people living on less than US$ 2 a day.
• National youth policies must target both increased employment opportunities for young people and their improved employability to break the poverty cycle.
• The government must take stern notice of growing drug addiction in youth and ensure that the potentials of youth are not wasted in growing hordes of drug addicts in dark alleys and garbage dumps.

Statistics:

• Approximately 9 million people in Pakistan are already trapped in the vicious cycle of drug addiction.
• The rate of new addicts joining the army of drug users is growing at 0.6 million per year.
• 90% of drug addicts in Pakistan are males, while 10% are females.
• A staggering 100,000 people die every year in Pakistan due to smoking-related diseases.
• The number of heroin addicts in Pakistan is around 1.5 million.
• 25-30 million people in Pakistan have their lives adversely affected by the addiction of their relatives.

Sources:

• Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF)
• Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition
• World Youth Report 2005
• THOUGH ASIA PULSE