Director of Drug Advisory Training Hub, Syed ZulfiqarHussain, has sounded the alarm over a 40% surge in ice addiction cases among women in Lahore during 2023. He pointed to the easy availability of drugs as a primary factor driving this alarming trend and announced the launch of the ‘Drug Free Punjab’ campaign by the Punjab government.
According to media reports, in response to the escalating crisis, Punjab Police, acting on Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s orders, initiated a major crackdown. Within a span of 20 days, they registered a whopping 7,000 cases and apprehended 7,500 drug dealers, confiscating significant quantities of various narcotics. IG Punjab Usman Anwar has vowed stringent action against those preying on the future of the youth through drug trafficking, ensuring they face severe legal repercussions.
The rise in drug use among women was a growing concern in Pakistan, with public smoking transitioning into the consumption of more potent substances like alcohol, hashish, cocaine, crystal, and ice.
According to a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime survey from 2012 and 2013, 6% of Pakistan’s population, approximately 60.7 million people have consumed drugs other than alcohol and tobacco within the past year.
