PESHAWAR:A senior mental health expert, Professor Dr Khalid Mufti Friday called for addressing the social and economic issues contributing to a spike in drug abuse along with greater awareness and collaborative efforts to overcome the challenge.

He made this call while speaking at an online session in connection with the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which is observed on June 26.

The senior psychiatrist, who has been working in the mental health sector and vying for a drug-free society for the last over 40 years under the banner of Horizon, underlined the factors leading to an alarming rise in drug abuse and the suggested solutions to tackle the problem.

He argued that the drug abuse problem should not be viewed in isolation as there were issues largely responsible for leading to the rise in drug abuse.

“The reasons for drug use should be addressed first. It is increasing with a rise in population, growing poverty, joblessness, and lesser number of prospects for the young people,” he pointed out.

He said cannabis, heroin, opium, and morphine were used as drugs, adding the practice of injection drug abuse had also increased, putting the drug takers at the risk of contracting HIV as they were found sharing the syringes.

Questioned about a high drug abuse relapse rate, he said: “The treatment of the addicts was a big challenge but the greater one was follow-up along with family and community care which, he said, lacked in most cases.

“Those who turn to drug abuse should be considered victims who need care and empathy,” he stressed and added that involvement of NGOs in providing them, families and the communities psychological support could help prevent the relapse.

Of the tally of those abusing drugs, he said as per a 2013 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 6.7 million people took drugs in Pakistan. The report, he added, revealed that people from age 15 to 64 use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes.

The senior psychiatrist, who is the chief executive of the Ibadat Hospital, who had also served as the regional representative of the World Psychiatric Association, said collaborative efforts by the government and NGOs to protect people from drug abuse were as important as were the tough actions by the relevant law-enforcement agencies to curb the sources of the supply of drugs.

Among some of the suggestions Dr Khalid Mufti made were a fresh national drug use survey in the country to know the exact number of the victims, better coordination between the health and narcotics control officials to address the issue effectively.