Pakistan has an estimated 5 million drug addicts

The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has estimated that there are about 5 million drug addicts in Pakistan, and that the invasion of drugs is affecting younger people in the country.

KPT Chairperson Nasreen Haque revealed this fact during a seminar at its Staff College on Friday, which was aimed at creating awareness about drug abuse and to prevent it in the society.

She further said that drugs that reach the country under various garbs are threatening to control people's lives.

She also stressed the need for measures to keep the invasion of such drugs in check.

She said that the country has a colossal problem at hand, and that a committed response was required to address it effectively.

Nasreen insisted that synergistic efforts were required to implement various drug prevention and treatment strategies.

She pointed out that the drug situation was witnessing changing trends, and that people were increasingly turning to Charas, Opium and Heroin.

According to her, synthetic drugs like Ecstasy and Ketamine had also gained popularity and are finding place in parties held in posh localities.

She congratulated the United Nations Association of Pakistan for organising the awareness program, and said that the social disease is to be fought at all levels - individual, parental, community, societal, administrative, legal and educational. link...