Not only in the cities but also in remote villages, the drug trade is going on freely. All kinds of drugs are available at the reach of your hand. These deadly drugs are coming to your home with just a phone call. With the increase in the use of drugs, their spread has also increased. Drugs are coming freely through various borders of the country. In the world of drugs, after weapons, drugs are now the most profitable business. Especially Phensedyl and Yaba are easily available and portable, so they are spread throughout the country. Honestly, there is no area of ​​the country where drugs are not in their grip. This deadly drug syndicate has spread a huge net across the country. They have strong and deep connections with international crime mafias. Myanmar citizens are also involved in the recently seized Yaba shipments. Most of the drugs come to our country from Myanmar via Teknaf. There are also various drug routes. Starting from the airport, land ports, sea ports, and border areas, drugs are spread. Some of it is seized. The rest goes to drug addicts and traders. A golden generation of a country that has been devastated by the terrible grip of drugs. The generation that spent its time in the school verandah, chatting with friends, and playing in the vast playground. Those who grew up to give the gift of a golden Bangladesh. However, that dream-like generation is today being destroyed by the terrible grip of drugs! This terrible grip is making the future of the children and adolescents of this generation uncertain, just as it is gradually destroying their physical and mental health. Drug addiction is a dangerous disease of modern civilization. Drug addiction is a terrible disease like AIDS and cancer. In the current world, drug addiction has taken a more dangerous form than nuclear weapons. Which is constantly destroying the future youth of our nation. Numerous fresh lives are being lost prematurely. Due to drugs, numerous happy families are being broken due to marital discord. It is a proven fact today that drugs are the root of all evil deeds and immorality. A study has shown that there is a close link between drugs and crime and criminals. Drug addicts get involved in any heinous act to buy drugs. They commit everything from petty crimes to ‘white collar’ crimes. Robbery, theft, robbery, looting, extortion, rape and murder, prostitution, kidnapping, ransom, extortion, etc. are all crimes committed due to drugs. It has also been seen that the entire family has been destroyed due to the drug use of one of the family members. The much-discussed police couple’s chilling murder was committed by their teenage daughter Oishee. Investigation revealed that she was a drug addict. She used to go to clubs with her boyfriends and spend long nights and consume drugs. On May 27, a father, Unmesh Sarkar, was murdered by his drug-addicted son at the Demra staff quarters. Parents were murdered by their drug-addicted son in Chowgacha. In January this year, a mother was murdered by her drug-addicted son in Pahartali, Chittagong. Most recently, a father in Kaliganj, Gazipur, fed up with the torture of his drug-addicted son, hacked his son to death while he was sleeping and surrendered to the police. There are no accurate statistics on how many tragic murders have occurred on a daily basis. The atrocities caused by drug addiction have increased to such an extent that in the last 10 years, 200 parents have died at the hands of drug-addicted children. The horror of drugs in Bangladesh has been depicted in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report. The report states, “5,147 billion taka is smuggled out of Bangladesh every year due to drugs. And Bangladesh ranks 5th in the world in terms of money laundering through drug trafficking. Bangladesh is at the top of the list of Asian countries in terms of money laundering through drugs. According to the UNCTAD report, Mexico ranks first in the world in terms of illicit drug money flows. Then, respectively, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bangladesh. Recently, former DG of RAB, Benazir Ahmed, gave surprising information. She said that there are 7 million drug addicts in the country and they consume drugs worth 1 lakh crore taka annually. Which is more than 21 percent of Bangladesh’s budget. And 56 percent of the development budget. According to the data of the Narcotics and Addiction Prevention Organization (MANAS), the number of drug addicts in Bangladesh is 8 million. A survey conducted by the World Health Organization shows that the tendency to use drugs is higher among the boys and girls of affluent families. It is a symbol of nobility for the lovers of the rich. They love to get lost in the hypnosis of drugs. They want to enjoy endless pleasure by taking drugs. The biochemical reaction of drugs in the bloodstream gives them a kind of warmth. This pleasure, feeling, dreamy drowsiness and wasted pleasure eventually take them to the ultimate stage of addiction. Among the educated and conscious drug addicts in our country, there are many who think that taking drugs keeps the intellect clear, gives pleasure in work, and as a result, success comes easily. Most of the arguments regarding the qualities of drugs bear the mark of a weak mentality. How drugs spread in Bangladesh: Once upon a time, phensidyl used to enter Bangladesh through the Indian border area. Then heroin took over the place of phensidyl. And now Yaba has spread widely in the country. Recently, a more dangerous drug than Yaba, ‘Ice’, is entering the country. Many drug factories have been set up in India and Myanmar in the border areas for Bangladesh. The drugs produced by these factories are sent to Bangladesh. Although the people there do not consume drugs much, they have chosen Bangladesh only to earn money. A research report published in the Daily Jugantar shows that “a quarter of the country’s young generation is addicted to some kind of drug.” According to this investigative report, one in 17 young people in the country is addicted to drugs. Uprooted children and teenagers are also regularly addicted to gum made from shoes. A study shows that 57 percent of drug addicts are involved in various crimes. Again, 7 percent of them are infected with the HIV virus. According to the Narcotics Control Department, 24 types of drugs have been recovered in the country so far. However, a study by a private organization has revealed that 32 types of drugs are consumed in the country. The study says that most drugs enter Bangladesh through the border areas of two neighboring countries, India and Myanmar. It considers 32 districts adjacent to the Bangladesh border to be the most vulnerable as entry points for drugs. Meanwhile, drugs are entering India’s West Bengal through the western border of Bangladesh, including Hasnabad, Dhaki, Basirhat, Petrapole, Baduria, North 24 Parganas, Bangaon, Swarupnagar, Helencha, Bhavanipur, Ranaghat, Amritbazar, Birampur, Karimpur, Nadia, Malda, Balurghat, Aurangabad, Nitita, and almost all the areas adjacent to the border, as well as 15 points in Bangladesh’s Satkhira, Jessore, Chuadanga, Merepur, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Joypurhat, and Dinajpur areas. Drugs are entering Kurigram, Sherpur, Mymensingh and Netrokona through 4 points in the areas adjacent to Bangladesh in Assam-Meghalaya, India. Drugs are entering Sylhet, Brahmanbaria, Comilla and Feni through 4 points in Assam, Tripura and Mizoram on the eastern border of Bangladesh. In addition, a new route for smuggling Phensedyl to Naogaon in Bangladesh via South Dinajpur in India has been discovered. The most active drug routes on the 271-kilometer border with Myanmar have become a headache for the entire country. Yaba is entering Bangladesh through about fifty spots in Ghumdhum, Naiksyangchhari, Damdamiya, and Jelepara in Cox’s Bazar and neighboring Bandarban. Although phensedyl, heroin, yaba, and ice are not produced in the country, they are available everywhere. Doesn’t that mean that our border is open? Yaba Thaba: ‘Yaba’ is originally a Thai word, which means ‘crazy medicine’ or ‘crazy medicine’, its main ingredient is methamphetamine. Yaba is a terrible drug, which can affect the brain, heart and any part of the body. Methamphetamine is used as a drug by mixing caffeine or heroin with it. Nowadays, to make it more attractive to young people, grape, orange or vanilla flavors, green or red orange colors are mixed with the main ingredient. The small tablet called Yaba looks a lot like candy, and tastes the same. As a result, addicts do not realize its extremely harmful effects at first. Because it initially makes the user physically and mentally strong. Once consumed, they become more inclined towards it. The pleasure and excitement of Yaba temporarily forget all the pains of life, they live in a world of dreams. Therefore, many people start taking Yaba due to various kinds of disappointments, failures, unemployment, family conflicts and bad company. Many people use Yaba as a sexual stimulant because it has a strong stimulating power. Some of those who are overweight start taking Yaba as a medicine to get pregnant. Many people like Yaba to ensure fatigue-free enjoyment before an all-night party because it reduces sleep. Some artists also take Yaba thinking that it will increase their artistic skills. Students take it as a medicine to reduce sleep to study more at night. In this way, they do not even realize when the temporary gain tablet leads them to the path of destruction. Excessive use of ice can cause insomnia, hyperactivity, mental depression, depression, amnesia, brain deformation, stroke, heart disease, kidney and liver complications. Again, if you become dependent on this drug and stop it later, you may have a tendency to commit suicide due to mental depression or depression. Most drugs are fake and adulterated: 85 percent of the drugs available in Bangladesh are adulterated. They are either faked or adulterated to make easy money. As a result, drug addicts are suffering from various types of complex diseases. 5 people died after consuming adulterated alcohol at Thati Fast Night in Rajshahi in 2021. A report in Desh Vantur said that 14 people died in 14 days after consuming adulterated alcohol. Due to the strict import of foreign alcohol, adulterated alcohol is being made by buying bottles of various famous brands. And people are dying every day after consuming this alcohol. BBC says that methanol and spirit are the main ingredients used in making this adulterated alcohol. Youth are turning to destructive drugs: A large part of the population of Bangladesh is teenagers, which is why the population of Bangladesh is called the youth dividend. 49 percent of the people in Bangladesh are 24 years old or below. That is, 49 percent of the population is young. According to the Narcotics and Addiction Prevention Organization – MANAS, the number of drug addicts in the country is about 8 million. Most of them are young. The scary information is that 85 percent of Yaba users are young people! 80 percent of Ice users are also young. As the number of drug addicts in Bangladesh is increasing, it is estimated that this number will exceed 10 million by 2030. Research has shown that more than 80 percent of juvenile offenders are drug addicts and most of them are involved in drug trafficking. In addition, 85 percent of juvenile offenders have admitted to buying drugs and 55 percent have admitted that they have sold drugs. Most of them are introduced to drugs from schools and colleges, as well as from various family and social institutions. According to news published in the media, numerous drug trafficking gangs sell drugs on the campus of Rajshahi University. University officials, local smugglers and even students are involved in this! According to information published in the media, in the last 10 years, about 200 parents have been killed by drug addicts, husbands have killed their wives, wives have killed their husbands. Even drug addicts have been killed by their fathers. Drug addiction is at the root of all murders, rapes, extramarital affairs, marital disputes, money transactions, murders, and terrorist activities. Therefore, to prevent drug addiction, dope testing must be strengthened in various fields including university admissions, government and private jobs. Even dope testing of police members should be accelerated. In dope testing, samples of the person concerned are tested, either urine or blood, or sometimes both. Drug samples can be found through saliva in the last week of people who have taken drugs, through blood in the last two months, and through hair tests in the last 12 months or a year. When entering various government, semi-government, autonomous, local government and private jobs, a drug test certificate or dope test report must be submitted along with a health test. Again, if an employee or official’s behavior is suspicious while on the job, they can be subjected to a dope test at any time. Drug addiction is also spreading among children: In Bangladesh, drug abuse is increasing among children and adolescents. According to statistics from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the number of street children in Bangladesh is more than one million. According to the Bangladesh Children’s Rights Forum, 85 percent of street children use drugs in some way or another. Of these, 19 percent use heroin, 44 percent smoke, 28 percent use various tablets and eight percent inject drugs. According to the organization, there are at least 229 spots in Dhaka city where children between the ages of 9 and 18 use drugs. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 30 percent of drug-addicted children in Dhaka division are boys and 17 percent are girls. Drug-addicted boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 17 are at great risk physically and mentally. Children and adolescents first enter the world of addiction with cigarettes. Then they gradually become addicted to various types of drugs including marijuana, heroin, phensedyl, lead, yaba, pethedrine, sleeping pills, dandy. Among them, the most deadly drug that is attractive to street children as a drug is dandy. Dandy is a type of glue, which is originally known as solution. It contains an ingredient called toluene. Toluene is on the list of narcotics. It is used in making shoes and installing rickshaw tire tubes. Eating it does not cause hunger or pain. Eating it for a long time can damage the brain, liver and kidneys. Drug-addicted children and adolescents suffer from various diseases as they grow older due to drug use. Their cells start to weaken due to the toxic nicotine in the drug. This reduces the body’s immunity. Physical and mental development is hindered. It can also become disabled in middle age. The risk of cancer increases by 80 percent. Apart from this, various problems arise, including loss of vision, increased tendency to steal money, inability to concentrate on studies, decreased energy, tendency to quarrel, not listening to family, weight loss, and loss of interest in food. Reasons for drug addiction in children and adolescents: A research report by Niramay Hospital says that the tendency towards drugs is highest during childhood and adolescence. Because, this period is a later stage of life. And, that is when the possibility of anxiety and depression starts to arise. Then, people start taking drugs due to pressure or temptation from friends. Although the addiction may be slight at first, at some point the dependency becomes so strong that one cannot understand anything other than drugs. The research report says that the family situation of children and adolescents has a great influence on drug addiction. Due to the dilapidated economic situation and lack of family rules, children, adolescents, and young people tend to turn to drugs. In particular, the neglect of parents towards their children, not paying attention to what their children are doing, and who they are associating with, is largely responsible for this. The research report says that the family situation of children and adolescents has a great influence on drug addiction. Due to the dilapidated economic situation and lack of family rules, children, adolescents, and young people tend to be addicted to drugs. In particular, the neglect of parents towards their children, not keeping an eye on what their children are doing, and who they are mixing with, is largely responsible for this. Field-level statistics say that 90 percent of children, adolescents, young people, and adults living in slums are addicted to drugs. In addition, if any family member is involved in drugs in any way, there is a risk that other family members will be affected by its influence. The report says that a child’s friends and those with whom they constantly hang out play a very important role in their growth. Many times, even good and talented children and adolescents fall into bad company due to the bad influence of drug-addicted friends and are exposed to drug use. The survey also says that the most inciting factor behind drug addiction is peer pressure. A 2019 survey by a national daily revealed that about 29.2 percent of children and adolescents became addicted to drugs at the instigation of their friends. Another major reason for the spread of the terrible claws of drugs among children and adolescents is its easy availability. From remote villages to small towns and cities, in almost every corner of the country, from cigarettes to heroin, alcohol, and phensedyl, all kinds of small, large, and medium-sized drugs are easily found. In addition, their prices are also very affordable. As a result, people of all ages, from children and adolescents, are easily addicted to drugs. The report says that children and adolescents are most prone to becoming addicted to drugs due to depression and anxiety. After getting involved in a relationship at a young age, followed by separation, and family turmoil, the idea is born that drugs can be the best way to overcome depression. Then, when the level of drug use gradually increases, it turns into addiction, and then it is impossible to get out of this addiction. The research report says that young teenagers start using drugs out of curiosity. They start using drugs in small amounts at first, thinking that they can control it naturally. At one stage, when it reaches the point of addiction, they cannot overcome it. According to the information of the Narcotics Control Department, 59.27 percent of young people and young men and women are becoming drug addicts due to the influence of friends. And only 36.36 percent of the youth are inclined to use drugs out of curiosity. The 15-30 age group is most likely to become addicted to drugs. A 2021 survey by the department found that about 84.27 percent of the 16-40 year old population of Bangladesh is addicted to drugs. Within this age range, youth aged 21-25 are at ‘highest risk’. Those aged 16-20 and 26-30 are at ‘medium risk’; those aged 31-35 are at ‘low risk’. According to a private estimate, there are currently more than 7.5 million drug addicts in Bangladesh. Of these, 80 percent are young men and women. 43 percent are unemployed, 60 percent are involved in various crimes. 40 percent are illiterate, 48 percent have secondary education and 57 percent are sex offenders. 98 percent of drug addicts are smokers. Women are also turning to drugs: The trend of women turning to drugs is increasing in the country. Analysis of data from several drug treatment centers has shown that many professional women who enjoy financial security are turning to drugs. The number of teenage drug addicts is increasing alarmingly. Housewives are also becoming drug addicts. Earlier, two or four women could be seen drinking alcohol in elite clubs, but they were not seen much in ‘bars’. Now, in addition to elite clubs, many women drink alcohol at tables in bars. Almost a third of the presence of women is seen in bars where discos are organized. The annual report of the Department of Narcotics Control says that from 2022 to July 2023, at least 50,000 drug addicts went to drug addiction treatment centers (rehab) due to drug addiction. In 5 years, the number of female drug addicts receiving treatment in rehab has increased 5 times. And the number of drug addicts aged 15 and below has increased three times, which is 47,376 people. The Director General of the Narcotics Control Department recently told reporters, “None of the heroin, pathedine, morphine, yaba, ice and other drugs that are available are from our country. We do not manufacture drugs. They come from Myanmar and India. And it is difficult to stop them because the demand is high. We are trying.” A recently published report said that the rate of female drug users in the country is increasing alarmingly. Since 2014, the Dhaka Ahsania Mission Women’s Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Center has treated 647 women. Of them, 129 have received treatment again. Of these women, 33 percent have used yaba, 28 percent marijuana, 16 percent sleeping pills, 15 percent other types of drugs, 2 percent alcohol, 2 percent intravenous drugs. Of these, 34 percent have schizophrenia, 30 percent have mood disorders, 12 percent have bipolar disorder, 10 percent have depression, 6 percent have OCD, and the rest have other mental illnesses. Those who have received treatment at the Dhaka Ahsania Mission (Women) Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center include students, housewives, doctors, psychotherapists, private employees, teachers, model sex workers, unemployed, businessmen, DJs, and air hostesses. Momtaz Khatun, psychosocial counselor at the Dhaka Ahsania Mission (Women) Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, said, “A large portion of those who come here are students of English medium schools. Apart from this, there are a significant number of housewives. We also get those involved in the medical profession. Along with that, there are models, actresses, and air hostesses.” Mental health experts believe that peer pressure, loneliness, drug use by other family members or friends, depression, frustration, excessive indulgence or discipline by parents, irresponsibility of guardians, separation, and the tendency to not give time to children are responsible for this. Dhaka Medical College Hospital sources said that very few drug-addicted women come for treatment compared to men. However, more women are coming to Dhaka Medical College with drug addiction than before. Recently, the tendency of taking drugs has increased a lot among women as well as men. Women take drugs from friends, neighbors, and social media addiction. In this case, many times lovers, students, husband and wife seek treatment together. Illegal drug use is increasing in many countries of the world like Bangladesh. The United Nations is also concerned about this. The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed on June 26 every year at the call of the United Nations to raise awareness against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. The main goal of observing this day is to save people from drugs. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (NODC), the organization implementing the United Nations’ anti-drug activities, has set the theme for this day as ‘The evidence is clear: invest in prevention’. The illegal trafficking and use of drugs in Bangladesh is now an open secret. In line with the UN’s theme this time, since the evidence is clear, effective steps should be taken to build resistance against drugs.