Drug addiction
Drug addiction is
a social evil. It has been prevalent in society from time immemorial. There are
a variety of drugs which are used in various forms. A drug addict becomes a
drug dependent. He cannot live without drugs. It is a form of psychological
conditioning that implies a set of mental and behavioral responses
to drugs and
related stimuli that result from repeated reinforcement produced by the use of
drugs.
There are a number
of causes which lead to drug addiction. These include social, economic,
religious, and physiological factors. There is a strong nexus between drug and
torn family life. It has been found that broken family structure often forces
one to resort to drug. This is because a person faced with such situation
chooses drug for its euphoric or mind-altering effect to escape from the
immediate situation.
This escapism in
turn compels the user to go back to the drug to avoid the trouble and it
eventually leads to addiction. While it is necessary to face the problem and
tackle it, the users more often than not are under the effects of drugs and
neglect the situation. It, as a result, worsens giving way to further use of
drugs to escape the problem which is already mounted. Thus, addiction and myths
of stress relief associated with it makes a vicious cycle.
Sometimes, exposure
to drugs in the family or the locality or the school makes one a drug addicts.
Usually, children of a drunkard also become a drug addict. The early exposure
to drugs immensely contributes to make them drug addicts. Their innocent
immature mind is unable to get its negative impact on them.
When they are
mature, they can understand everything, but are already caught in its vicious
trap. The company also plays a prominent role in making one drug addict.
‘Doing
drugs’ as a cultural fad amongst the youth provokes them to experiment and
lures them for addiction.
The phenomenon of
drug addiction has its roots in an individual’s psychological, physical and
social bases. Drugs are addictive as they are taken either to escape from the
existing situation or for pleasure-seeking. In a way, drugs become the sole
source of gratification for the person who has chosen them as a support system.
The person reaches such a physiological state which necessitates the continued
use of drug to prevent withdrawals.
There are varieties
of drugs available today, which include narcotics, depressants, stimulants,
hallucinogens and cannabis, in other words, opium, morphine, heroin, marijuana,
bhang, hashish, LSD, mescaline, khat, codeine are different forms of drugs.
Alcohol, marijuana, and heroine are the most commonly abused substances. Some
drugs like bhang, hashish, tabocco and liquor are cheaper which a man of
low-income group can afford while drugs like heroine, LSD, morphine, etc. are
highly costly. Only affluent section of society can have accessibility to them.
Every drug,
including alcohol and tobacco, which is socially acceptable, is harmful for the
body as a whole. But the drugs which have a high physical dependence are more
dangerous for the health in comparison to others. As the concentration of
alcohol increases in the blood, vision, hearing, smell, taste and muscle
coordinations are affected, resulting in staggering in one’s gait.
The mental
confusion enhances with even a small quantity of drug intake which is manifested
in behavioral changes. Drug dependence hampers memory perception, problem-
solving skill and concentration. Besides, a number of symptoms such as
increased pulse rate, blood pressure, loss of appetite, insomnia,
icro-vascular damage, severe weight loss, psychosis, violent behaviour, poor
comprehension and memory are associated with it. Long-term alcohol abuse has
varied affects on human body.
It affects the
brain cells irrevocably and often leads to nerve damage. This, in turn, leads
to loss of sensation and mobility in limbs. Liver damage resulting in cirrhosis
is the most dangerous health hazard caused by drug addiction. Significantly,
women are more prone to liver related disease than men. Besides, alcohol taken
by pregnant women may cause health problem to babies.
When their
capabilities and efficiencies are not well-rewarded and not well-recognised,
they opt out and seek alternative gratifications in drugs. When the ordinary
social fabric is disrupted by several socio-economic factors such as poverty,
unemployment, migration, etc. the problems of drug addiction get chance to
flourish. Undoubtedly, drug addiction is a great socio-economic and health
problem. It is kind of disease which is curable with the help of proper
treatment. But for the total recovery of the addict, psychological treatment
side by side medical treatment through individual counseling, group therapy,
re-education and yoga is of immense help. The planning of treatment must focus
on self- exposure and self-help.
Unless a person
wishes to get rid of this evil, it is very difficult to give it up. Hence, an
awareness campaign can serve the purpose. The media, the NGOs, self- help
groups and other governmental and non-governmental agencies can play
influential role. Besides, our educational curriculum should be so designed
that value-based moral education is made a part of it. Since in very early age,
more values need to be inculcated in children, they should be taught to develop
ood hobbies to spend time happily and meaningfully in good company. They need
to be taught to develop a useful and constructive work-oriented daily routine
in which they do manage some time for social activities. They should be made
aware of the vices of addiction.
Duties of Students
Students are the
repository of all that is vital and vigorous in society. They are the vital
forces in the social organism. If the students do not come upto our
expectations simply because they are led astray and their vigor is drained
away, the radiance of our hopes is likely to be dimmed. It is essential,
therefore, that students should realize this and make full preparations for
playing their proper role in society and answering the call of the time to
come.
This leads us to the
consideration of the duties which the students should discharge in order to
become good citizens of tomorrow. When we talk of duties, the terms ‘rights’
naturally occurs to us. The students of today, unfortunately, are conscious of
only their rights. It is good that they should have a consciousness of these
too, for they are the basic conditions of freedom. But, what is more important
to understand is the fact that rights do not stand by themselves. They grow out
of duties.
Hence the need is to be
more conscious about duties than about rights. Duties of students can be
divided into four categories: (1) Duties to themselves, (2) Duties to the
family, (3) Duties to the society and the (4) Duties to the humanity.
The first duty of
students is towards themselves. They should try to have good health, for a
sound mind lives in a sound body. One cannot do anything great without good
health, however much one wants to do so. For this purpose they should take part
in games and sports. They should be guided by the maxim “Read while you read
and play while you play.” The second duty which they owe to themselves is
character formation. Building up of good habits in the beginning is very
necessary. The good habits that are formed in the student life last throughout.
And character is nothing but a bundle of habits.
Simple living and
high thinking1 must be the motto of their lives. They should develop decency,
good manners and good behavior towards others. Thirdly, they should pay full
attention to their studies, for it is their studies which shall determine their
future course of life.
Besides duties
towards themselves, students owe duties towards their parents, elders and
teachers. Parents who are responsible for their having come into the beautiful,
delightful world have a moral claim upon their children, who should do
everything to repay at least some part of the irreparable debt they owe to
their parents. They should not do anything that tarnishes the image of their
family.
Next to parents
come teachers to whom students woe irreparable debt. The teacher who guides
youth to course through this life as a respectable member of society deserves
the most sanctified respect of the students.
Man is a social being.
He is what he can be; what he intends to become due to society. Social service
leads to the liberation of the self which in turn leads to the ennoblement of
the soul and the enlargement of the spirit. Besides these spiritual gains,
students can get experience of an education in harmonious social living. They
can also eke out their resources by earning some little money as a result of
their social service. They can help in the eradication of social evils like
infant marriages, casteism, untouchability etc.
During their
vacation students can organize night schools in villages and thus be helpful in
solving the problem of illiteracy. They can instill political consciousness in
the villagers and can tell them their rights in the democratic set up of the country.
During times of war students can organize civil defense operations and look
after the families of these who are actively engaged in fighting against the
enemy.
Service to
humanity is the crying need of the hour. Nationalism is an utterly crude term
in the context of the modern times. The world is a family; this should ever
remain on the conscious plan of their minds. Thanks to science that it has
conquered barriers of space. Students of one country can communicate and
establish contacts with students of foreign countries. They should try to
develop sense of accommodation for the people of all countries without
discrimination on the basis of social or political systems of their countries
or the faith or religion of their societies.
In the world of
today our lot is closely connected with the lot of people of every other
country. Students should help in the formation of effective world public
opinion against cases of injustice, tyranny of oppression in any part of the
world.
Politics is an
integral part of our life. What Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman once said of
himself, “I take part in politics because it encircles us like the coils of
snake” may with the same degree of emphasis be said of every one of us
including students. And hence they should be allowed full participation in the
policies of their country and that of the world.
We have put before
the students a plethora (superfluity) of duties. In fact, the performance of
these duties is very essential particularly now when free Bangladesh demands
active participation of students in the task of social advancement and national
development. But the society and the government should not lose sight of their
duties and responsibilities towards students.
Those suffering
from financial hardships should be rendered all possible financial help; for
the proper execution of their studies. Employment after studies should be
ensured with perfect fairness and non-discrimination.
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