At least 460 drug addicts died in the streets and parks of Lahore during the past year.
The consultant of a social organisation, Syed Zulfiqar Hussain, said while presenting the annual report for 2021 of an anti-narcotics campaign that an addict spent an average Rs450 to Rs1,000 per day on drugs.
He said 460 homeless addicts were found dead at sidewalks, roads and parks in Lahore during the year. The number of unidentified drug addicts found dead was high in the Data Darbar and Bhati Gate areas.
The expert warned that drug use among young people was on the rise, including among girls.
Complaints of drug use were also received from students of some well-known educational institutions, on which the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and police arrested six drug dealers active near universities and colleges.
Zulfiqar Hussain said it was estimated that 80 per cent of the drugs in the city were ordered through mobile phone and WhatsApp.
He said drug addiction among members of affluent families had increased since the outbreak of coronavirus due to economic uncertainty and mental stress.
