BANGLADESH: Drug addiction on the rise due to online sales

The International Day to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was celebrated yesterday in Dhaka. Bangladesh is one of the South Asian countries most affected by the phenomenon. The Narcotics Control Directorate’s annual report highlights the role of digital platforms. Professor Choudhury confirmed that “there are about 8 million drug addicts, most of whom are young people.”

Dhaka () – Dhaka () – The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, established by the UN General Assembly in 1987, which was celebrated yesterday, has been particularly significant for Bangladesh, one of the countries most affected by drug consumption, trade and trafficking, with a slow but constant increase in addiction rates. It is a growing phenomenon that has been influenced, among other things, by the development of technology, as revealed in the annual report prepared by the Narcotics Control Directorate. Drug traffickers and consumers in the country use various social media platforms or the dark web, and transactions are carried out through online banking, including those in cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin.

It is an unprecedented face of that trade in death that Pope Francis strongly denounced yesterday in the general audience. The latest statistics from the Narcotics Control Directorate reveal that in 2021 all control agencies in Bangladesh seized 36.38 million Yaba pills (known as the drug of madness), approximately 1.08 million phencidil vials, about 4 kg of cocaine and 210 kg of heroin. In 2021, 47% of drug-related court cases ended in convictions, an increase of 43% compared to 2020.

Professor Arup Ratan Choudhury, a dentist and drug addiction researcher, gave an overview of the situation in the country. He started from the fact that Bangladesh is stepping up its efforts to increase the spread of the Internet, even though it is often misused. “Around 130 million people use the Internet in Bangladesh and the number of Facebook users in the country is around 60 million. Unfortunately, drug-like products have been openly sold on various social media and digital platforms for some time now,” he said. These data influence the consideration of drug addiction as one of the most serious social problems in the country, which, along with smoking, is one of the most widespread causes of premature death and ill health. It often affects the younger generation, as the majority of the population is made up of teenagers: 49% of Bangladeshis are aged 24 or younger. “According to private estimates, the number of drug addicts in the country is around 8 million, most of whom are young people,” Choudhury added. “It is alarming that 85% of Yaba users are young people and this figure is expected to exceed 10 million by 2030.”

In fact, young people often start using drugs by smoking and later become addicted to various substances, including Yaba, Fencidil, heroin, cocaine, opium, codeine, morphine and LSD. Little by little, addicts begin to suffer from complex diseases that affect the kidneys, the liver and the normal functioning of the brain. To respond to this challenge, Pope Francis yesterday indicated the path of prevention, which “is done by promoting greater justice, educating young people in the values ​​that build personal and community life, accompanying those in difficulty and giving hope for the future.” To do this, it is essential to create a favorable environment for sharing and coordinating information, ensuring that anti-drug policies are based on scientific research, raising awareness of the importance of the participation of local communities in the planning and implementation of effective prevention programs and holding communities accountable for increasing participation in prevention activities.

A Catholic priest from Dhaka told that their only son, 35, who has two children, was abandoned by his wife due to drug addiction. “Our son’s beautiful family has been destroyed due to drug addiction. We are still working to cure our son,” the parents, who did not want to be identified, sadly said. According to the Bangladesh News Agency, Sangbad Sangstha, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government was pursuing a “zero tolerance” policy against drug criminals and traffickers and is including drug-related science subjects in school curricula to raise awareness among students. She also noted that street children and drug addicts receive care in government and private centers. The Prime Minister made these statements precisely on the occasion of the International Day to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, calling for a strong commitment to building a drug-free Bangladesh.