SalaiMoe Aung, Narinjara News, 30 September 2024
Investigationsreveal a significant increase in drug addiction among the youths in ArakanState of western Myanmar.
Theongoing fighting in the region has caused the school going young people tosuffer from physical and psychological harm. Many have stopped attending theschool and face job scarcity as well as unemployment. It leads them to turn toillegal drugs, said local residents.
"Mostuniversity students in Arakan State can’t attend classes due to the currentturmoil situation. With no jobs on hand, they gather in the evening hours todrink alcohol and later go for consuming marijuana and other illegal items. Wefrequently see the marijuana and drugs with young people in rural areas,"said a youth from Mrauk-U locality.
Drugusers in Arakan State include teenagers, university students, and also adultsaged 35 and above.
Theteenagers primarily use marijuana, while the senior students and adults consumeWY (methamphetamine) tablets.
"Manyfamilies seem to be unaware about the young people who are using drugs.Marijuana is popularly known as weed, which is now widely available in theArakan region. It is often mixed with cigarettes and consumed for smokes.Some groups are consuming drugs with the help of plastic bottles," said KoKhaing Zaw Lin from Kyauktaw town.
Theuse of drugs is observed in urban and rural areas of the Arakan region. Theteenagers and students can purchase drugs for Kyats 5,000 to 10,000.
The drug-users are often found in dark places like under bridges, villagecemeteries, forest areas and other abandoned buildings.
"InArakan State, drug-related punishments remain very weak. When the individualsare arrested for selling drugs, they return to the business after theirrelease. There are different types of punishments for the sellers andconsumers. Arresting and rehabilitating both the sellers and users will be morebeneficial," said Ko Kaung, a young man from Minbya township.
Headded that the increase in drug-users among young people is a matter of concernfor the future of Arakan State.
Thelocal authorities are being urged to take effective action against thoseinvolved in the illegal trades.
The ArakanArmy (AA) continues to prioritize the public security issues and it will takeactions to address the problems, said AA spokesman U Khaing Thukhaduring a press conference organised on 5 March 2022.