The Addiction Riddle

Addiction to drug and alcohol is a major social, psychological and health issue in almost all countries – developed, developing and underdeveloped. It is a social issue because it wrecks families and leads to societal malaises of all kinds, the gravest being crime under the influence of the addictive substance. The psychological dimension stems from the fact that an addict is a mental wretch, and even if he has taken to addiction to make up for his mental imbalance or lack of mental stability, his addiction will only compound his lack of balance – he will become more and more unstable, and so the opposite happens. As for the health issues arising out of substance abuse, one knows it all – almost all the vital organs are at risk, especially the cardiovascular, nervous and digestive systems. As countries across the world struggle with the problem of addiction, especially drug addiction (because drug addiction is far more dangerous and irreversible than alcohol addiction), the only thing that worries them is the ways and means to tackle the problem, that too with a humane face.

In this context, what the Meghalaya Drug Users’ Coalition – an umbrella organization of members from the Meghalaya Drug Users’ Network, Drug Users’ Union of Meghalaya, Meghalaya State Network of Positive People and the Jaintia Network of Positive People – said recently in Shillong while addressing the press is significant: that instead of the public shaming the drug users and beating them up publicly, “attention should be directed to the drug suppliers and things will cool down”, and that the authorities concerned must also reckon the fact that “drugs are easily available and there is some nexus going on”. As for this nexus, reports galore of a flourishing police-drug suppliers synergy at work almost everywhere. It is this synergy that needs to be broken first. On the other hand, there is need for counselling of the most efficient psychotherapeutic kind when it comes to rehabilitating people who are diehard addicts. Love, care and counselling hold the key, as the Meghalaya body rightly said.