DESPITE tough vigilance and special drives by law enforcers, narcotics smuggling increased in 2021 compared to the previous year. The amount of yaba seized, which was smuggled into the country from Myanmar, increased by 45.88 per cent in 2021. A similar scenario has been witnessed in regards to heroin and cannabis. Against this backdrop, creating social resistance against drugs and narcotics has become imperative to protect young generations from its deadly consequences. Generating public awareness about drug abuse and its grave consequences has become very important to diminish this social disease.
Only eight to ten percent of total smuggled narcotics can be seized by law enforcers, but 90 per cent floods the market. Usually, when smuggling increases so do the seizures. Adoption of new techniques such as the use of dark web, encrypted communication, corruption, and lack of accountability are blamed as the reasons behind the increase. The increase in seizures clearly says that there is smuggling and availability of narcotics. But it also points to the fact that law enforcers are active. Experts said war against narcotics requires combined efforts, and enforcement agencies have to play a major role here by performing their duty with utmost integrity.
In recent times, a number of new types of narcotics like crystal meth, magic mushroom and MDMA were found available in the country. The number of drug addicts has increased in the country, with 114 patients taking treatment every day at public and private rehabilitation centres last year. A total of 90,133 people with addiction underwent treatment at the five government rehabilitation centres and 53,720 at the 324 private ones in the last five years.
Cross-border drug trafficking and the spread of harmful medicinal drugs have contributed to a growing addiction problem in Bangladesh, especially among the most downtrodden people in society. Once hooked on the habit, the victims either eventually drop out of their academic institutions or perform poorly. The government has a declaration of zero-tolerance against drug addiction and urged all quarters to come forward to protect the young generation from the grip of social crime.
