Doctors Call Crackdown Against Drug Addicts in Punjab ‘Flawed’

The sudden crackdown pushed many addicts towards more dangerous substances like heroin and synthetic drugs.

The sudden crackdown in Punjab has had a dangerous fallout. (Photo: iStockphoto/ The Quint)

Doctors have punctured holes in the crackdown against drugs in Punjab by pointing out that the addicts are being targeted while calling the crackdown “flawed”, reports The Indian Express.

The entire focus of the crackdown was lopsided given how the addicts were targeted. Putting addicts behind bars will not serve any purpose. There was a reign of terror during the time and patients used to approach us asking for certificates that they were under treatment for drug addiction because they had been threatened that they would be put behind bars.

<b>Dr Simmi Waraich</b>

According to her, the sudden crackdown has pushed many addicts towards more dangerous substances like heroin and synthetic drugs because of non-availability.

The crackdown was not a bad move by the state government but faulted the police for the manner of execution. For the first time, a strong political will had been shown by the state government to put a stop to the sale of drugs in the state. However, the police did not do it in the way it should have been done. This is why many small-time peddlers and end-users have found themselves behind the bars. The correct way to have gone about it was to first explore ways of prevention and then resort to enforcement. Creating public awareness, taking members of the society along, involving the panchayats, etc., were some of the steps that could have been taken.

<b>Dr Pramod Kumar, Director, Institute of Development and Communication </b>

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