Pubdate: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 Source: Daily Times (Pakistan) Copyright: 2007 Daily Times Contact: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2893 Author: Imran Asghar Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?143 (Hepatitis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) DRUG ADDICTS AND SHARED SYRINGES RAWALPINDI: Even though Pakistan is one of the countries labeled as 'low prevalence and high risk' in terms of HIV/AIDS the lingering miasma of HIV/AIDS is rising rapidly because of shared syringes used to inject drugs in the slums of the city. In fact the main cause for the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Pakistan is injected drug abuse. Moreover, Hepatitis C is another disease that people injecting drugs risk acquiring. There is strong evidence that there is a shift from non-injecting modes of drug abuse to injecting drugs with the latter becoming increasingly popular in areas like Pir Wadhai, a large opium/heroin production and drug trafficking region. Injecting drugs is also common in other areas such as Dhok Ratta, Dhok Charg Deen, Dhok Hasso, Dhok Khaba, Bagh Sardarn, Mohan Pura, Katarian, Kachi Abadi in Islamabad, Muslim Town and so on. A reliable study stated that it is of significance that between 5-10 percent of people injecting drugs in the city are in the 18-24 year age bracket, and in the city 33 percent of the people had come from other cities. Moreover, it is estimated that more than 10,000 injected drug abusers exist in Rawalpindi with that number increasing day by day. It is also estimated that each user injects drugs 10-15 times daily. Injecting drugs seems to be considered both quicker and more effective by drug abusers and smoking, inhaling and sniffing have become passe. Among the most used injections are Vaprijasic, Atamjasic, Neuroban, Damijasic and on occasion Heroin. While a cigarette filled with hashish was routinely shared amongst three or four drug abusers but now two or more people use a single syringe to inject drugs. Drug abusers find shelter while injecting drugs in shrubs of graveyards, at shrines, along the banks of Nullah Leh, under big manholes or in buildings under construction. Many of them steal to support their addiction. A major proportion of the respondents to the survey conducted by Daily Times in the red zones cited peer pressure as the major reason which caused the shift to injecting drugs from smoking, chasing or sniffing herion. "This is quick and the easiest way to become unconscious," said Qabeer, a resident of Attock who has been injecting drugs for six years. He said he had moved to Rawalpindi in search of a job but he could not find a source of income. He said, "I prefer to be a drug user to relax my mind from the worries of life." Farooq Zaman, 26, originally from Abbotabad, had settled at the Pir Wadhai bus stand, and told Daily Times that he shared syringes with his friend while injecting drugs. His drug dealer is a woman from NWFP who made sales trips twice a week to supply them with drugs. Amjad Deen, 22, had left his home four years ago and he shifted from non-injecting modes of drug abuse to injecting drugs about two years ago. He also shares syringes very often. Shakeelo, 35, a resident of Bagh Sardaran, said the syringe is bought from medical stores and he does not know the name of the drug but it was yellow. He said he and his friends had only one syringe that they all used. The complete disregard for safety concerns when sharing syringes seems to be a hallmark of drug abusers who have taken to injecting drugs. It is this lack of concern for their own future that is now raising the spectres of HIV/AIDS and other transmittable diseases, which have heretofore had low prevalence rates in Pakistan. Dr Sunny who works with drug abusers stated that there were many solid reasons behind this social evil. He said self-medication is the major cause and most serious drug abusers began with popping sleeping pills. He said the ease with which injections could be bought also contributed to the growing prevalence of injected drug abuse. He said drug abuse is a curable disease and the government and community should work together to discontinue the addiction. He said the alarming danger of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C among the injected drug abusers could not be neglected. He said there were some psychological factors which stimulated the desire for addiction in a normal mind and each drug abuser came form a social context where he felt a plethora of negative emotions and low self-esteem causing them to share syringes with impunity. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman