PHA-Exchange> Drug addicts are spending about 5, 000 crore taka on drugs

[Syed Mahbubul Alam Tahin]

Drug addicts are spending

about 5,000 crore taka on drugs

Kazi Rafiqul Alam, Executive Director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission said that the drug addicts are spending about five thousand crore taka to satisfy their addiction which is more than one fourth of the national development budget. He was speaking in a press conference held in the Reporter's Unity in Dhaka yesterday (29 May) at 11 A.M. The press conference was organised to mark the beginning of the month-long programme of Ahsania Mission Drug Prevention and Control Programme (AMIK) against tobacco and drug abuse. Mr. Alam also said that drug problem is spreading in the country very rapidly and it is eating up the vitality and future of our youths. If we can not prevent this menace urgently it will appear as a major problem for the future. He also mentioned that 90% of the drug addicts are found to be smokers. We need to create awareness among our vulnerable young people bad effects of smoking and there should be effective laws against ! tobacco. 

Dr. Enamul Huq, former IGP and President of AMIK stated that in the 56th on the World Health Assembly held in Geneva a few days ago under the Chairmanship of our Health Minister it has been decided to formulate a convention against tobacco. He expected that Bangladesh would be one of the first countries to ratify the convention and pass appropriate laws for which there is a public demand. Capt. (Retd.) M. M. Feroz, Member Secretary of AMIK and Prof. Rawshan Ara of Dhaka University, Member of AMIK Central Committee, Iqbal Masud Joint Member Secretary of AMIK also spoke on the occasion. All of them took part in answering questions raised by the attending journalists. It has been said that like other years AMIK will observe the World No Tobacco Day on 31 May and International Day against Drug Abuse and Illegal Trafficking on 26 June. And during the days in between will hold discussion meetin! gs, rallies, human chairn, seminars round tables at different places throughout the country. It will also prepare and distribute 30 thousand posters, 20 thousand stickers and 15 thousand leaflets. 

Iqbal Masud 
Programme Officer 
Dhaka Ahsania Mission 
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