Number of drug addicts rising alarmingly in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, Aug 24: Number of drug addicts is rising alarmingly in Rajshahi city and adjacent areas day by day.
People, especially the young generation and students of different educational institutions including a number of females, have become addicted to different kinds of drug including heroin, phensedyl, yaba, marijuana, etc.
These contraband items are openly sold at different spots and shops of the city and a large number of drug addicts gather at those places regularly to buy the items and involve themselves in drug abuse, said locals.
On the other hand, to treat the drugs addicts, there is only one government and five private drug rehabilitation centres in the city.
According to the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) office here, at least 195 drug addicts have taken treatment from different drug rehabilitation centres since the last six months. Some of them are taking treatment at different private hospitals and clinics against high treatment cost, but a huge number of them are remaining untreated since they cannot afford to bear the high cost of the treatment, source added.
As a result, the number of addicts is increasing day by day in the city and adjacent areas. Besides, the addicts are involving in criminal activities like snatching and extortion to collect their drug money.
It is a matter of great concern that the district DNC has no accurate data of the number of drug addicts in the city.
According to a non-government organisation "Want to save the Society", there are more than 50,000 men and women drug addicts in the district including in the city, and of them, around 1,000 are in the city.
Meanwhile, most of them, who are mainly poor, want to return to normalcy but are unable to do so for inability to bear the high treatment cost, sources added.
According to local newspapers, Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested three alleged drug peddlers including a woman with 200 grams of heroin and 22 pieces of yaba tablets from Faradpur bus stand under Godagari upazila here on July 21 last.
On the same day, in another raid, RAB arrested three drug peddlers with 700 bottles of phensedyl from a truck in the upazila.
Besides, at least seven persons including a woman died after taking brewed wine at Kutipara village under Charghat upazila on July 19 last. The deceased were identified as Jahangir Alam, 60, son of late Sultan Ali, Lalon, 45, son of late Marur, Jawhar Lal, 55, Godhanu Rani, 70, Anil, 55, Mahtab Uddin, 55, and Helal Uddin, 56, all residents of different areas in the upazila. All of them died after admitting at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH).
While talking with The Daily Observer, Professor Enamul Haque of Physiology Department at RMCH said that, counselling and proper guidance are necessary to tackle the drug abuse.
"Generally, the young generation become drug addict for failure in love affair or economic crisis. A drug addict can recover within five or six months if he or she is provided proper guidance, counselling and treatment," he added.
Sources said, around Tk 10,000 per month is required as treatment for any drug addict and he or she has to go under treatment for at least three months. But many drug addicts here live under poverty line and cannot afford the money for the treatment, sources added.
Social or family disputes, rising crimes, health hazards, murders and suicides are the major consequences of drug abuse. To get rid of the situation, law enforcing agencies should take joint steps against drug.
Deputy Director of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) in Rajshahi Lutfar Rahman said, there is no record of the number of drug addicts in the city. He assured of taking measures to find out the number in future.  
Deputy Commissioner Mejbah Uddin Chowdhury said that the present government has pledged to free the society from drug abuse and urged the guardians, parents and other concerned to supplement the government in its endeavour to ensure welfare of the nation and its
citizen.