Karachi, once fondly called the “City of Lights,” is now grappling with a formidable adversary: a rampant surge in drug addiction. This metropolis, already struggling with deep-rooted social and economic challenges, is now shadowed by the dark specter of substance abuse. The streets, which once buzzed with the vibrancy of life, now echo the despair of addiction. The influx of both old and new drugs—heroin, hashish, e-cigarettes (vaping), crystal methamphetamine (‘ice’), and shisha smoking—has become a pervasive plague. The consequences are dire: respiratory ailments, cardiovascular diseases, mental health disorders, and a soaring risk of infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, exac-erbated by needle sharing. Furthermore, studies indicate a heightened susceptibility to cancer among long-term substance abusers, further complicating Karachi’s health landscape.
The toll is heavy, with increased mortality, social decay, and moral decline becoming stark realities. No demographic is spared; the epidemic stretches its insidious fingers across all layers of society, ensnaring the young, the affluent, the impoverished, and even those within educational sanctuaries, thus threatening the future of Karachi’s educated youth.
The sight of homeless heroin addicts has become tragically common in Karachi. Their numbers, rather than dwindling, have swelled. These individuals, lacking shelter, find refuge wherever possible: along riverbanks, beneath bridges, in abandoned shops, va-cant lots, and the sprawling slums. Once merely wanderers, they now engage in scav-enging activities, armed with sticks and dragging dirty sacks as they rummage through trash cans for recyclable items like plastic bottles and cardboard, selling them to sus-tain their deadly addictions.
The dire circumstances have also sparked an increase in violent behavior among ad-dicts. Reports indicate that many now carry sharp knives or daggers, anticipating con-flicts in their desperate struggle for survival. Disturbingly, the crisis, once predomi-nantly involving men, now increasingly ensnares women. Their backgrounds remain a mystery—shrouded in shadows are their families, children, and past lives.
Adding to the grim tableau are rising reports of sexual misconduct involving both male and female addicts. This dark facet of the crisis underscores the vulnerability and exploitation faced by those trapped in the web of addiction.
The entrenched demand and supply of narcotics have deeply rooted themselves in so-ciety, posing significant challenges for Karachi’s future. Addressing this crisis de-mands urgent and effective strategies. Concrete measures must be implemented to curb the spread of addiction, protect vulnerable populations, and restore social stabil-ity in this metropolitan city.
In the light of these harrowing developments, there is an imperative need for a con-certed effort from both government and community organizations to combat the drug epidemic. Without swift action, the very fabric of Karachi’s society risks unraveling further under the weight of this growing menace.
—The writer is a freelance journalist who supports humanitarian causes in
Pakistan.
