Once Upon A Time in America
It was January
17, 1920, the United States of America had just outlawed the consumption of beverages containing
more than half a percent of alcohol.
Alcoholism was the cause of myriad societal problems. The authorities believed that the ideal way resolves this
crisis was the eliminate the source of the problem i.e. alcoholic beverages.
The stated
goals of prohibition were to reduce crime and
corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and
poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene.
But, as always, the real challenge was
the implementation of prohibition laws, hence additional law enforcement officials
were deployed.
Despite myriad stringent measures, illegal
drinking dens began to spring up and flourish all over the country.
Elements of organized crime recognized that prohibition presented a sterling
opportunity to raise money, especially in major cities.
During the thirteen
years of prohibition, criminal gangs managed
to bootleg, stockpile, and sell illicit liquor. Any human impediment was either
bribed or summarily eliminated.
Staunch alcoholics opted for opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances as substitutes for alcohol.
The consumption of alcohol reduced during the prohibition
era, however, it increased subsequently.
The profits earned from the illicit sale of
alcohol during prohibition caused a spike in organized crime. This was an
enormous burden for the courts and prison systems. Tax revenues dwindled
considerably while government spending escalated, the exchequer suffered losses.
There were no measurable gains were made in productivity or reduced absenteeism.
America during the prohibition era is
a microcosm of what the world has become with respect to its anachronistic laws
and attitudes toward drugs.
Drug Consumption in India
The Ministry
of Social Justice and Empowerment
conducted the first
National Survey on Extent and Pattern in India in 2018
in which it was discovered that “over 57
million individuals are affected by harmful or dependent alcohol use, about 2.5
million suffer from cannabis dependence and approximately 7.7 million
individuals need help for their opioid use problems.”
India also has a significant number of minors who
are victims of addiction. According to a study conducted by the National
Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the
most common form of substance
abuse amongst adolescents is tobacco and
alcohol, followed by inhalants and cannabis.
The pandemic with its associated restrictions on
movements must have exacerbated this very grave situation.
Easy Availability despite the illegality
The fact that raids successfully
manage to apprehend individuals in possession of drugs proves that narcotics
are available for people seeking them.
Clearly, there is an organized channel
through which narcotics are either smuggling from overseas, or perhaps some are even developed locally.
The ban on drugs has clearly proved to
be superfluous.
The sale of drugs is only profiting
nefarious elements who use the profits to fund criminal or terror activities and bribe officials to allow more drugs to flood the
country.
The effects of illicit
drugs
The deleterious effects of illicit
drugs range from long periods of dependency to deaths caused by overdose.
Addiction
can cause severe physical and psychological symptoms that result in
interpersonal problems with family members and colleagues.
It doesn’t help that most regular people
often view addicts people behaving irresponsibly
which causes contempt and stigmatization of substance dependence. Drug
consumers are often ostracized both socially and professionally even upon recovery.
The raid and arrest of people
associated with films stars for drug possession may have created a public
perception that this only afflicts the affluent and powerful.
However, it is impoverished who are more
likely to become drug addicts. An AIIMS study found that an astounding 90 percent of Delhi street children are drug addicts, 29 percent took drugs under peer pressure, while 19 percent took them out
of curiosity.
While the affluent can afford extensive
treatment and rehabilitation. The impoverished are compelled for cheaper and more dangerous
chemical substances to get high which can cause irreparable damage. Quite often
the lack of awareness means that they are not even aware that this condition
can be treated.
Solution
The only way to ensure the reduced
consumption of narcotics is to educate the population from a very young age
about the deleterious effects of drug consumption.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi rightly called
for the destigmatizing addiction during his address to the nation during his monthly Mann Ki
Baat radio program.
The American Psychiatric Association has termed drug addiction as an ailment that alters the brain to cause intense cravings, changes in personality, abnormal
movements, and other behaviors.
It is beyond doubt that addicts are
vulnerable to dependence than normal individuals, hence they need support and
empathy.
The consequence of drug addiction
often causes the victims to behave badly.
However, we must not confuse the
consequence with the reason that an individual has become an addict.
Much like you will not blame an
individual for limping because she suffers from a condition that causes sprains
after physical exercising.
Parents especially need to be taught
how to recognize signs of drug addiction.
It is hence of the utmost importance
that society changes its attitudes towards addiction and allows those who
have recovered to live a productive life without the stigma.
The government should continue to fund
and popularize hospitals and rehabilitation centers for drug addicts. There
must also be a healthy culture of support groups both virtual and real for
recovering addicts
Should drugs continue to
be illegal?
Since the total ban isn’t working,
perhaps it is time for the government to categorize drugs.
Perhaps it is impossible and impractical to legalize all drugs, hence it is essential that narcotics are graded and the less harmful are legalized.
Law enforcement should distinguish
between consumers, those in possession, and dealers.
The consumer must be treated as a
patient and sent to rehabilitation centers. Punishments such as community
service should be awarded to consumers and possessors rather than imprisonment.
It is the dealers who deserve to be
punished.
The chief objectives are to provide a regulatory mechanism.
There can be designated areas in cities and towns drug
consumption is allowed.
Taxes from legalization will earn a high amount of
revenue for the government.
Legalization will also save precious time for the law
enforcement and courts, the time spent raiding drug dens and drug takers that
can be better invested in investigating and prevent real crimes.
The implementation will not be easy or instant and
the above-mentioned, almost utopian scenarios may never be realized.
Will this encourage the youth to consume
drugs?
Legalization is not promotion, legalization merely allows regulation, policing and makes the business a source of revenue for the government.
It also makes illegal activities superfluous, if you can get it
legally, why would opt for the illegal route and run the risk of getting
arrested.
Alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs are
legally available and can have the same effect on people as drugs. Clearly banning drugs is futile.
In fact, any product or service can have a harmful effect on human life.
By that logic, even a bicycle will need to be banned. We
leave it to the adult as to what to consume.
Will drugs ever be legalized?
But in a country such as ours, where morally
judging one another is a form of recreation, do not expect any relaxation on
drug laws.
If a government merely suggests some move of
relaxation, the opposition will say “There is poverty and unemployment and the
government wants to promote drugs.”.
Also, those pocketing handsome bribes due to the illegality of drugs will use all their might to prevent legalization.
Our only hope
Hopefully, the powers that be invest a great deal in educating the masses about drugs and their effects.
Hopefully, this
will result in people viewing addicts as patients and not as forces of evil.
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