World Anti-Narcotics Day observed

Shoaib said that more than 2,500 reported cases of HIV positive had been reported in various parts of Pakistan since the disease was officially acknowledged in late 80's. However, many believe the actual figures were much higher around 70,000.
He told that he social factors such as unemployment leading to pure boredom were the main reasons for the abuse. Drugs like heroin were becoming more readily available at a cost of more than Rs 100 per gram in unpurified form, however, most of the illegal substances were coming in from Afghanistan via NWFP. "A bumper crop is expected this year, following the fall of the Taliban," he added.
Commenting on the history of drug supply in the country, he said that the drugs particularly heroin introduced in Pakistan in 1979 after three mega events like Ziaul Haq regime, Afghan War, and Iranian Revolution. Before that Europe was the biggest international drug market, where the drugs had been smuggled there from Afghanistan via Iran and Turkey and this route was called golden crescent because of its shape.
While after blocking the golden crescent route the supply of drugs got stopped, therefore, the drug suppliers entered the Central Asia to avoid their financial loss. Later the suppliers started supplying drugs from UAE by sea routes but it could not be continued further. Thus, the drug was introduced in Pakistan and other Central Asian countries, informed Shoaib.
Local experience suggests that female drug users especially injecting drug users represent a small segment of Afghanistan's drug users population, yet their situation is of particular concern. This is compounded to women's unique social and biological vulnerabilities which often place them at a higher risk of HIV transmission.
On the other side, the government officials, in their survey, admitted that about 30-40 HIV positive cases have been diagnosed every year and the numbers are increasing day-by-day.
The National Assessment Study on the drug abuse situation in Pakistan, conducted in 2000, estimated the number of hardcore drug dependent persons (chronic heroin users and injecting drug users) at 500,000. These figures would suggest that Pakistan has one of the highest rates of heroin abuse in the world. The study also showed that cannabis type drugs (hashish and charas) were the drugs most often reported to be commonly used, followed by heroin, alcohol and tranquillisers.
In 2004, 29 intravenous drug users (IDUs) were found HIV positive out of 210 randomly tested in Larkana District prison, Sindh. Pakistan is, at present, concentrated epidemic country for HIV/AIDS. WHO/UNAIDS estimates that there are between 46,000-210,000 adult HIV positive cases in Pakistan. According to the National AIDS Control Programme surveillance report second quarter 2006, reported HIV positive cases are 3047 out which 783 are injecting drug users. A major epidemic has already been detected among injecting drug users in Karachi, 26 per cent of whom were found to be HIV-infected in 2004 (Ministry of Health Pakistan, 2005). When tested just seven months earlier, the same community had only one HIV-positive case.