High on atmospherics

High on atmospherics

High on Atmospherics

Article:

1. Vipin Pubby, a Chandigarh-based journalist criticises Punjab government’s approach to tackle drug abuse menace

Important Analysis:

2. In 2017, a Special Task Force (STF) was set up by the Punjab government to curb drug abuse in the state
3. The STF claimed to have arrested 15000 drug peddlers and block the entire supply chain of drugs
4. However, the growing menace of drug-abuse and the recent deaths in the state has triggered the state government to take up some hasty decisions without proper considerations
5. The Punjab government has asked the centre to amend the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 to include death penalty for even first-time offenders
6. In 2001, an amendment was introduced in the NDPS Act to allow for death penalty for repeated offenders. However, courts held the provision unconstitutional. The provision was removed by an amendment in 2014
7. Further the Punjab government has also announced that all the government employees would be put through dope test
8. The Author has criticised these steps taken by the state government to be hasty decisions. The demand for death penalty for even first time offenders seems to an overreaction to the issue.
9. The author opines that a dope test for govt. employees is a poorly-targeted measure since it is widely known that most of the drug addicts are unemployed. Further, a dope test cannot establish whether a person is addict or not. It can only confirm the presence in the samples
10. The author also highlights the problem of poor handling of drug related cases by the police and prosecution agencies. Also, false drug cases have been on a rise in Punjab
11. Measures suggested:

• Extensive survey to understand the extent of the problem
• Properly planned strategy to tackle the problem
• Proactive and preventive measures to target youth
• Primary prevention to identify potential victims through counselling and prevent non-users from starting drug use
• Sensitive handling of the issue