Two million youth in Karachi drug addicts

Karachi (PPI) - In Karachi some 2million youth and children are the risk of drug addiction, as prevalence of drug addiction in very high in this mega city, said a Karachi-based NGO working on the issues of street children and youth.

Rana Asif Habib, President of Initiator Human Development Foundation, talking to PPI on Saturday, said the major portion of Pakistani population is consisted of youth and children and they are highly exposed to smoking and drugs. He feared some 100million people in Pakistan might be at the risk of smoking and other types of addiction.

In Karachi over two million youth are addicted, and rest of the youth and children are at also at the high risk of drug addiction, as drug trafficking is prevailing in every part of the city, he said.

He charged that police conduct ‘cosmetic raids’ on drug dens, while the role of other anti-narcotics agencies needs a wider scope. He said the Anti-Narcotics Force makes an excuse that they are not supposed to take action against small drug peddlers. He said taking action against small drugs sellers is vital, because they compile together to make a Mafia.

“We need to evolve a new legislation as Drugs Ordinance 2002 has not proven so effective, besides not being implemented in letter and spirit,” he said.

Rana said one could easily find cigarettes being sold in the city areas near schools, colleges and universities, which is actually prohibited under the law.

In Karachi the main addiction is of Hashish, because this drug is easily available at every nook and corner of the city. The main trafficking areas of hashish are Chanessar Goth, Dhobi Ghat and Massan near Keamair, he said.