Zubair Qureshi
A large number of youth, students, teachers, civil society and people from all walks of life gathered at F-9 Fatima Jinnah Park on Wednesday, on the eve of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2024 to walk and peddle to shine spotlight on Investing in Drug Use Prevention.
Each year on June 26 the world comes together to raise awareness on addressing the global rise in drug use and abuse.
The commemorative event was jointly organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Narcotics Control, Anti-Narcotics Force and the Karim Khan Afridi Welfare Foundation (KKAWF) with an aim at bringing stronger focus on implementing drug use awareness and prevention education programmes among the young population in line with the UNODC theme this year “The Evidence is clear: Invest in Prevention.”
The theme is a testament that central to addressing the drug problem is the imperative to adopt an approach that prioritizes early prevention awareness and education among the young population in the country.
Speaking on the occasion Cristina von Sperling Afridi, Chairperson KKAWF said “Drugs, as part of an organized crime are recognized now as a national security threat in Pakistan.” She commended the efforts of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) which she said fully understood the gravity of this threat and is spearheading a drive to tackle this abuse.
Despite the worldwide recognition of the drug problem, drug use persists and is mounting to historic levels – 296 million drug users globally in 2021, which she said is an unprecedented 23pc increase in just one decade, and synthetic drugs like crystal meth are making the task harder to address.
She stressed that “concentrating on prevention awareness and knowledge is the only safeguard for the community and only alternative for the youth to build a system of self-defence which protects them from getting trapped in the world of drugs.
Director General ANF, Maj Gen Abdul Moeed HI(M), Country head UNODC Mr. Jeremy Milsom, Secretary Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, IGP Islamabad, representatives from World Health Organization and AIRCOP also drew attention of the audience towards implementing drug prevention strategies to ensure a better future for Pakistan.
