Man allegedly injecting drugs in his body while standing in front Sadarghat bridge; Substance abuse scaling to new heights

The menace of substance abuse is such that it ruins careers, families… Any type of substance abuse commonly known as “doing Drugs” or “doping” is a crime in India. In Silchar, right next to Banga Bhawan, on the road between the community hall ad Sadarghat bridge, a young man is seen injecting something inside his body. Another possible case of substance abuse in the open.

Under the night sky, similar visuals can be witnessed in Chamra Gudam area of Fatak Bazar, Malugram lake, Meherpur, and in many other spots across Silchar. Now one might say that it is the police’s responsibility to nab people who are actively participating in substance abuse. But then, in India, there are 198 police officials per one lakh people. This means one policeman is there for 505 people. However, according to the Bureau of Police Research and Development data, the number goes up to 780 whenever there is a VIP visit in that particular area. The department deploys up to three police officials per VIP.

So, one Police cannot keep an eye on 780 people at once for sure… Superintendent of Police, Cachar, Bhanwar Lal Meena believes, the Police is making progress in its combat against drugs. “There are special teams that keep a tab on the movement of abusive substances. We have managed massive successes in confiscating consignments worth crores. But Police alone cannot solve this issue,” asserts Meena.

He adds, “The family members, especially the guardians need to play a bigger role. During the growing period of a child, it is important to keep an eye on the various activities they are indulging in. At the same time, the development of mind is also crucial. It needs to be explained to them that substance abuse is bad for their future. I would not do anything that is bad for me, but I need to be explained that it is bad, and the family can do it the best.”

Youngsters who aspire to achieve something in life, prosper to be something do not indulge in substance abuse, believes Meena. According to him, it is important that youngsters understand the value of life.

From a 17-year-old’s dead body lying somewhere in Das Colony to a young boy injecting while standing at Sadarghat, the situation is getting worse in Silchar.

“While guardians need to play a more active role for sure, the administration also needs to invest in awareness programmes and make them more mainstream. At the same time, the Police officials need to uproot the racket behind the smuggling and not just stop at confiscating consignments. Overall, all the stakeholders in the society need to consider substance abuse as a serious issue and only then it can be addressed at a macro level,” sums up a professor of Silchar Medical College and Hospital.