Why is zero tolerance failing to prevent drug abuse?

On June 26 in 2023, a report titled “42,000 drug cases in the country in 5 months” was published in the daily Kaler Kantho. According to the report, in the five months from January to May of the current year, approximately 42,000 (41,759) drug cases were filed. Out of the cases, 51,834 were named as accused, and 11,231 of them were arrested, while the remaining 40,603 people are still at large.

Drugs are usually trafficked in Bangladesh using 12 routes. According to a report of the United Nations Trade and Development Organization (UNCTAD), 481 million US dollars (about five thousand 147 crore taka) are being smuggled out of Bangladesh every year due to drugs. The number of drug addicts in the country is 75 to 80 lakh, of which 80 percent are youth and 57 percent are sex offenders.

Forty-eight percent of drug addicts are educated. In 2022, the annual report of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) showed that 10,573 drug dealers were arrested across the country in one year. It is known that there are more than 1 crore drug addicts in the country and 80 percent of drug addicts are youth. Among them, 43 percent are unemployed, and five percent are women. The demand for the 10 grams of drug ice is sold for about Tk 1 lakh in Bangladesh.

Apart from this, there are various new drugs in circulation, such as crystal meth, phenethylamine, LSD, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), magic mushrooms, ketamine, kush, ecstasy, hemp, fentanyl, Molly, and Adderall. Ice is primarily a stimulant drug that significantly increases hormonal excitement. It is associated with potential health risks, including brain strokes, heart attacks, dental decay, and long-lasting hallucinations.

Moreover, ice usage can lead to insomnia, memory distortions, brain damage, weight loss, kidney and heart issues, depression, and a range of neurological reactions, including strokes. The discussion above highlights the severity of the drug problem in Bangladesh, with various factors contributing to its escalation.

Some of the key aspects related to the drug situation in Bangladesh include age of drug addicts, number of drug addicts, types of drugs, most demanded drug, drug-related cases, physical health consequences, psychological and physical health impacts, etc.

Not only that the statistics also show that a huge amount of money is being smuggled out of the country due to drugs. That is, it can be clearly said that drugs have created a public problem in Bangladesh and drugs are a national curse.

Therefore, it will be possible to free Bangladesh from the curse of drugs by identifying drugs as a national problem and taking measures on a short-term and long-term basis. However, in this case, it is very important to have a collaborative approach between the government and non-governmental initiatives. School students drop out in the clutches of drugs, youth get involved in various criminal activities due to drug involvement, distance is created with other family members, and anarchy and chaos are created in the society as a result of the disorderly behavior of drug addicts.

Moreover, conflicts between families can extend to societal divisions, creating discord between different social segments. No one can be found who does not hate drugs, yet not everyone in society participates in the fight against drugs. Drug trafficking, drug consumption and drug marketers will never be eradicated from society; Until it is possible to build a social movement against drugs.

Everyone who is involved in drugs in the society has some kind of family. Resistance should be developed mainly from this family, the primary responsibility of the family is to guide the child in the right direction. The government should extend its hand of support to the government instead of sitting on the responsibility of the government in everything.

Only then will it be possible to get rid of the terrible and devastating diseases like drugs from the society. Criminologist Kohl and Felson (Cohen & Felson) showed in the theory of Routine Activity Theory, crimes are committed due to the combination of three factors. One of them is motivated offender, availability of suitable target, absence of capable guardian.

Crimes are committed only when these three factors are combined. If we make concerted efforts to address all these aspects in the context of drug abuse, a similar replacement effect will become evident. In other words, drug consumption is likely to occur when a motivated, typically young or long-term user, finds drugs readily available, indicating the easy accessibility of drugs. However, if there is a lack of social and national barriers in place, one of these three elements is missing, making it impossible for an individual to engage in drug use, trafficking, or distribution.

Who usually takes drugs? The answer is that there is a class of over-enthusiasts whose drug addiction begins with a desire for addictive substances. Once you get involved with drugs, the chances of coming back are practically slim. Those who are not schooled well become drug addicts. It’s meant those who are deficient in the socialization process develop a strong tendency towards drug taking and criminal tendencies.

Apart from this, in those families where there is a distance between the parents or there is a deficiency in family harmony, as well as there is a lack of harmony between the family members, the children of those families get involved in drugs and other crimes. Additionally, factors such as hopelessness, alienation, high aspirations, failed achievement, and a desire for acceptance within society contribute to an increasing number of adults getting involved in drug abuse. As a result, the number and extent of juvenile delinquency increased.

The current government has formulated a zero tolerance policy against terrorism and drugs. Due to the systematic and effective action taken by the government against terrorism, there is peace and relief in the public mind and the global image of Bangladesh has increased. But there is still fear and apprehension about drugs.

The use and spread of drugs cannot be reduced in any way, especially the young generation is heavily addicted to the horrors of drugs and is getting involved in criminal tendencies. Success in this area is impossible without everyone concerned being more vocal and responsible. Many are saying that there is a wolf in sheep's clothing, that is, those who have the responsibility of drug prevention and prevention, because they are unable to perform their duties properly, drugs are not eradicated, and in addition, the young people are on the verge of destruction because of drug addiction.

According to a report published in Dainik Prothom Alo (July 19, 2023), "The name of the police is in the list of drug dealers prepared by the police." It should be noted that some of the accused policemen took money from the drug spot and some of them managed the drug business themselves through their own sources.

A report published in BBC Bangla had the title, 'Relative of MP killed in clash with drug dealers.' On the other hand, a report published in the Bangla Tribune shows, "Police's double policy in dope test. According to the news, policemen from the rank of constable to inspector have been dope tested for three years and not a single person above the rank of ASP has been seen to participate in the dope test program.

So the incident has caused anger among many and now the program is largely closed. Negligence of duty by those whom the government has entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order, recognized as the frontline fighters in drug eradication, acts as a hindrance in drug prevention.

In this case, it can be mentioned from the perspective of Bangladesh, in some places, the relationship of policemen with drug dealers and the appearance of overzealous policemen as drug dealers acts as an obstacle in the proper implementation of the zero tolerance policy against drugs.

Apart from that, the long-standing allegation of political leaders' collusion with drug dealers is not worth throwing away. Or because drug dealers are connected to relatives of established politicians, it becomes easier for them to run the drug business. These issues are evident with various examples and enforcement in different areas. In particular, there's a significant risk of policemen using drugs, and the internal authorities within the police force have attempted drug testing programs.

However, due to disparities and biases, these drug testing programs have not been successful. As a result, the drug prevention and control measures have not been effectively implemented.

The inefficacy of the government's zero tolerance policy against drugs can be attributed to several possible reasons. Firstly, attempts to effectively shut down the routes used for drug transportation have failed, despite these routes being identified. When the media highlights these issues, and public perception becomes very critical, there can be temporary crackdowns on these routes.

However, at a certain point in time, the previous state of affairs is often restored, and drug trafficking trade is once again targeted. Secondly, because the drug cases that are pending in the courts are not disposed of quickly, the drug dealers are released on bail and get back into the business.

Third, society has yet to build a collective resistance against drugs, but social movements against militancy are strong. Fourthly, drug menace is not being eradicated as pharmacies have not effectively succeeded in stopping the sale of over-the-counter drugs.

Due to the slow onset of addiction through the drugs obtained from the pharmacy, the lack of awareness of the parents has a fatal effect on these matters. Lastly, due to the failure of family-based efforts against drug resistance, the drug trade continues in Bangladesh. Therefore, in order to completely eradicate drugs from Bangladesh, there is no alternative to social movements. Alongside this, the active and proactive role of law enforcement agencies can serve as a deterrent against drug proliferation. 

Author: Chairman, Department of Criminology and Police Science, University of Chittagong.