TO: The Honourable President of Pakistan
FROM: Drug Policy Advisor
SUBJECT: Health and harm reduction: Pakistan’s Future
DATE: 29/10/2013
Pakistan's geographic location next to world's largest producer of illicit opium, places the country in vulnerable position and it has emerged as popular transit nation for drug trafficking. Afghanistan produces an estimated 60-70 % of the world’s supply of illicit opiates, 45% of that cross into Pakistan, en route to destination markets.(UNODC Report on PAK)
Identification of Key Issues
Porous borders and widespread corruption in the shipment officials (sea ports of Karachi and Port Qasim) that extends deep into the throats of Security forces as well (Pak Anti-Narcotics Policy Papers)
Household Population Survey (UNODC. “Drug Use in Pakistan 2013”)
Cannabis Most commonly used drug
ATS and cocaine Increasing
Most commonly misused substances Opioid-based painkillers followed by tranquilizers and sedatives
Women: More likely to consume amphetamines and painkillers
4,20,000 people who inject drugs (PWIDs)
Use of contaminated injecting equipment among PWIDs One of the major routes of HIV transmission
Almost 3/4th of opiate-using PWIDs share injecting equipment
Regular opiate users who inject drugs 73% reported sharing syringes either before or after someone else; Reason There was only one needle available
Regular cannabis More than 1/3rd between 20 and 29
Heroin 30-34 = 53%; Mean age of opiate users=37
The drug use by our young generation is rising at an alarming rate and can be detrimental to a developing economy like ours
Alarming spike in injection of illicit drugs among young adults A serious threat to the national economy as it lowers...
... middle of paper ...
... raise the Life Expectancy at Birth criteria and improve HDI World Ranking
Improving the employees’ conditions that will bring up the efficiency and will have a direct impact on creating an enthusiastic economic environment which in turn will initiate and investor-friendly climate
AA28652
Bibliography
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Ministry of Narcotics Control. “Drug Use in Pakistan 2013: Technical Summary Report”
Ministry of counter Narcotics, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. “National Drug controls Strategy”
Pakistan Anti-Narcotics Policy Papers 2010
Society for Sustainable Development. “Recommendations for Sustainable Development for changes in Pakistan Anti-Narcotics Policy”
The Dawn. “Drug Trade in Afghanistan and Pakistan”
Stonebraker, Robert. “Supply-Side Drug Policy: Will It Ever Work?”
The Dawn. “Pakistan’s Drug Menace”
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...as an HIV Prevention... : JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. [online] Available at: http://journals.lww.com/jaids/Abstract/2001/11010/Cost_Effectiveness_of_Syringe_Exchange_as_an_HIV.12.aspx [Accessed 3 Apr. 2014].
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Drug trafficking is a prohibited, global trade that involves the production, the distribution, and the sales of drugs. It is a topic that has become a very large issue all over the world. It also has had a very big effect on many different countries because they often depend on the business that the drug trafficking creates. Since it has become such a problem, there have been many different efforts to put a stop to drug trafficking by different enforcement agencies. A website about drug statistics, drugabuse.net, indicated that the Drug Enforcement Agency or DEA, as it is well known as, makes over thirty thousand arrests each year dealing with the illegal sales or distribution of drugs. It is also believed that Mexico’s economy would shrink by over sixty-three percent if they lost their drug trafficking industry. There are many different tribulations like this that drug trafficking has created. Many people see it as such a vital asset to some countries, so it has emerged as an extremely big business that brings in a boatload of money. Just like any other immense problem, drug trafficking has its causes and effects
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