KARACHI, Oct 25: Speakers at a seminar on “Narcotics addicts in Pakistan” said on Thursday that if masses were not mobilized against the menace of drugs, it could cause an irreparable damaged to society.

The seminar was organized by the department of social work, the University of Karachi, at the KU arts auditorium.

It was attended by psychiatrists, sociologists, representatives of non-governmental organizations and academicians. They shed light on various aspects of the effects of drugs and narcotics on society.

A psychiatrist at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Dr Iqbal Afridi, emphasized the importance of creating awareness among the general public about drug addiction. He said that the people should be taught to change their behaviour towards drug addicts and treat them normally.

“The menace could only be treated by creating awareness about its hazards while drug addicts could be treated or helped to quit drug addiction through provision of better and sympathetic social environment and psychological treatment,” he added.

Families of drug addicts could play a vital role in helping drug addicts quit addiction, he observed.

Zulqarnain Ali Shah, a representative of ANF Forum Pakistan, said that more than 100,000 persons fell prey to the menace of drug addiction every year in Pakistan, but unfortunately only 10,000 of those got treatment opportunities or facilities and out of those only 150-200 managed to quit their addiction for good.

“Drug-trafficking is an international business and all over the world drug pushers and peddlers identify and set targets to sell their drugs. There is a need for educating the masses about their nefarious designs and hazards of addiction,” he said.

Prof Fateh Mohammad Burfat of the sociology department at KU said that people, especially youths, used drugs due to a variety of reasons, such as economic crises and neglect by parents.

He stressed the need for identifying the root causes of spread of drugs in society.—PPI