Addiction is a chronic dependence on a psychoactive substance such as alcohol, tobacco, or an intoxicating drug. There is also behavioural addiction where a person cannot stop getting involved in activities such as gambling, eating, or doing some other thing. Any addiction is a disease that affects the addict’s brain and behaviour. According to the American Psychiatric Association, addiction is a complex condition, a brain disease manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences. People with addiction (severe substance use disorder) have an intense focus on using a certain substance(s), such as alcohol or drugs, to the point that it takes over their lives.
The use of any psychoactive substance affects the health and well-being of the addict and impacts his/her family, society, and the nation at large. The side effects of addiction are well-known. For example, the compassion of an intoxicated person decreases, and cruelty in the behaviour increases. Addiction causes severe health issues, e. g. alcohol damages the liver, heart, kidney, intestines, etc.; smoking damages the lungs; tobacco/gutkha chewing leads to mouth cancer, etc. An intoxicated person often fights with family members; many times, frequent fights lead to separation/ divorce. Such people are socially isolated and find difficulty finding a job; even if they get employment, it becomes difficult for them to remain in it, leading to financial insecurity.UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) World Drug Report 2020 mentions that more than a quarter of a billion people worldwide use drugs. In 2018, an estimated 269 million people worldwide had used drugs at least once in the previous year (range: 166 million to 373 million). This corresponds to 5.4 percent of the global population aged 15– 64 (range: 3.3 to7.5 percent), representing nearly 1 in every 19 people – highlights the report.
According to the report of the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS, New Delhi (published in February 2019): ‘Alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used by Indians. Nationally, about 14.6% of the population (between 10 and 75 years of age) uses alcohol. In terms of absolute numbers, there are about 16 crore persons who consume alcohol in the country. The use of alcohol is considerably higher among men (27.3%) than women (1.6%).The report further says – After Alcohol, Cannabis, and Opioids are the next commonly used substances in India. About 2.8% of the population, that is, 3.1 crore individuals, have used some or the other cannabis product within the previous year. About 2.1% of the country’s population (2.26 crore individuals) use opioids, which include Opium or its variants, Heroin, and a variety of pharmaceutical opioids.
“Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with your self-esteem. – Kurt Cobain”
Pujya Gurudev, Pandit Shriram Sharma, Acharya realized this menace of drug addiction in the 1950s and included a de-addiction program in his ‘Yagya’ movement and mobilized the support of over one crore people for de-addiction in Uttar Pradesh only, Where the participants were motivated to resolve to abandon one vice and adopt one virtue. Lakhs of people have thus transformed their lives by leaving the use of alcohol, tobacco, etc. Acharya Shree believed that awakening spirituality within the inner core of a person could serve this purpose in a better way than giving medical advice or making prohibition laws. De-addiction programs have also been conducted in schools and colleges, where the teams in the Raths held meetings and video shows to acquaint the students and staff with the evils of drug addiction. Lakhs of students have been motivated this way to give up bad habits.
But this is not enough. This requires the participation of all the sections of society. I urge our parijans in India and abroad to persuade influential personalities (like artists, filmmakers, public figures, media persons, etc.) to selflessly contribute in their own way towards this end, so that our de-addiction movement is intensified, and the people, especially the younger ones, are saved from the ill-effects of addiction.With prayer-filled wishes for peace and prosperity for all.-
Dr. Pranav Pandya
“Addiction is an adaptation. It’s not you – it’s the cage you live in. – Johann Hari”
Source:- Akhand Jyoti Nov-Dec 2020