Drug addiction is not a style statement. The statement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26. While envisioning a drug free India, the Prime Minister adds that drugs bring darkness, destruction and devastation. The concern for a drug free society is much needed now as the Covid 19 pandemic has worsened the dynamics of drug use pattern, drug delivery and drug trafficking.
This year’s theme for the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is 'Share Drug Facts to Save Lives.’ The focus of 2021 is to curb the spread of misinformation on the topic and further to encourage the exchange of facts related to drugs.There has been a remarkable increase in drug users across the world. In last one decade i.e from 2010-2019 there is an increase of 22% of people using drugs worldwide.
As many as 275 million people used drugs globally in the last year. The current pandemic has additionally aggravated the number of drugs users. The Covid 19 pandemic has pushed approximately 120 million people into extreme poverty. In the year 2020, 255 million people lost their full time jobs and due to pandemic induced school closure as many as 1.6 billion students were affected. Mental health condition has been a serious concern throughout the pandemic period. These factors cumulatively create a vicious circle of socio economic vulnerability and drug use disorders.
Recently, the World Drug Report 2021 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes has come out. Interestingly, the fifth part of the report titled “Covid 19 and Drugs” depicts prominent changes in the drug production, consumption and trafficking worldwide due to the
pandemic. As many as 350, 000 male and 150, 000 female have died taking the toll up to 0.5 million deaths due to illicit drug use every year. Adding to this figure, it is estimated that worldwide there are almost 11 million people who inject drugs out of whom 1.4 million are HIV infected and 5.6 million are affected with hepatitis C. Anxiety, loneliness, depression, isolation and stress during the pandemic and strict lockdowns are considered as the primary drivers of increased drug use.
Drug trades have also flourished during the pandemic world-wide. These trades are the real threat to health and security and pose a major challenge to socio economic development. It is undoubtedly a risk factor for the youth, a loss to poor and
marginalised group and an accelerator for crimes. By 2030, the World Drug Report -21 mentions, globally there will be an 11% increase in the people using drugs.
The beginning of the pandemic and its induced lockdown had reduced the drug use and its trafficking. But gradually, the drug market adjusted to the condition. It showed a great resilience. Restriction on travel, social distancing, closure of clubs, bars and events were responsible for initial disruptions in drug market. Drug peddlers and organised crime groups accommodated with the pandemic induced change and created a dynamic game plan. Now, the situation has become favourable and drug trades are more rampant than pre-pandemic.
Travel restriction, closure of borders and unavailability of commercial flights have encouraged the drug mafias to use alternative ways. During the pandemic, there is a sharp rise of drug trafficking in marine and water routes worldwide. This trend is more rapidly accessed in Europe, South-East Asia and Africa.
In some cases, private aircrafts were used for drug trafficking. Further, in many parts of India, including Odisha, ambulance has been used as a drug carrier. Now due to digital accessibility, drug traffickers are using the internet in the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to Covid 19 mobility restrictions there is an increase of home delivery of drugs. Drug sales on dark net markets constitute a small fraction by volume of total drug sales but they know the market and are aware of the fact that drug users will find them in the digital market.
A new pattern of large shipment of trafficked drugs has been discovered. In this pattern trafficking of drugs is less frequent but the volume is much bigger. Ten tons of cocaine was seized in a single shipment during the pandemic period 2020 in Western Europe. In Odisha, we see this trend also. Tonnes of marijuana have been seized by STF Odisha frequently. As per a recent data Odisha police had seized 1,549.8 quintal ganja in 2020 against 304 quintal ganja in 2017, 523.89 quintal in 2018 and 618 quintal in 2019.
There is a diametrical shift in drug use because of the Covid 19 pandemic. Due to closure of social and recreation venues and low financial conditions, there is a bit decrease in the use of LSD and cocaine among drug users. It indirectly increases the use of cannabis and non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs like benzodiazepines. It is to know that cannabis products are produced and distributed locally with the help of domestic supply chains. There is no evidence which supports that these supply chains have been interrupted by the Covid-19 restriction measures.
The Covid 19 and drugs part of World Drug Report -21 says there is an increase of 42% in the consumption of cannabis worldwide. Hospitals and other healthcare services are still overburdened because of Covid 19 infected patents.
This health service condition is a setback for drug users. As per the report 65% critical drug users are severely affected during the pandemic due to lack of health facilities. Furthermore, the use of opioid has increased drastically globally. Opioid is a type of narcotic pain medication. It should not be consumed without doctor’s prescription. As stated earlier, nearly 0.5 million deaths are due to drug use globally. Out of these deaths more than 70% are related to opioid and more than 30% of those deaths caused by overdose. Covid-19 crisis has to adopt new mechanism and must pave way to innovation in service delivery for people who use drugs.
Increase in the use of telemedicine, online consultations and remote services, remote consultation, mobile telephone-enabled outreach programmes, contactless services and administration of treatment medication without face-to-face meetings can be introduced to help the people who use drugs.
These action plans must be adopted globally. A drug addict’s story is not a personal tragedy; rather it is a national problem. Family, society and State should come together every time to curb the menace.
(abash.parida@gmail.com)