Slide 2 drug is any substance other than food, that when inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, absorbed via a patch on the skin or dissolved under the tongue causes a physiological change in the body.

medication or medicine is a drug taken to cure or any symptoms of an illness or medical condition. The use may also be as preventive medicine that has future benefits but does not treat any existing or pre-existing diseases or symptoms.Dispensing of medication is often regulated by governments into three categories—over-the-counter medications, which are available in pharmacies and supermarkets without special restrictions; behind-the-counter medicines, which are dispensed by a pharmacist without needing a doctor's prescription, and prescription only medicines, which must be prescribed by a licensed medical professional, usually a physician.

Smart drugs and Designer drugsNootropics, also commonly referred to as "smart drugs", are drugs that are claimed to improve human cognitive abilities. Nootropics are used to improve memory, concentration, thought, mood, learning, and many other things.

SLIDE 3Drug abuse in PunjabJune 26 is celebrated as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking every year. It is an exercise undertaken by the world community to sensitize the people in general and the youth in particular to the threat of drugs. About 190 million people all over the world consume one drug or the other. Drug addiction causes huge human suffering and the illegal production and distribution of drugs have spawn crime and violence worldwide. Today there is no part of the world that is free from the curse of drug addiction. All over the world there are millions of drug addicts whom leading towards miserable lives, between life and death. Drug abuse has led to a harmful impact on the society

. Most of drug users are being in the productive age group of 18 to 35 years. The loss in terms of human potential is incalculable. The damage to the physical, psychological, moral and intellectual growth of the youth is very high. Adolescent drug abuse is one of the major areas of concern in adolescent and young people's behavior. . Drug abuse is also a very major problem in Indian Punjab that not only affects many of the people addicted to it but also their near and dear ones. There are more than 7.5 million drug users in India and more than 40% are belong to Punjab.A surveyed in Amritsar of 600 drug addicts in rural and urban areas of Punjab and found that they were usually young, poor and unemployed.

SLIDE 4DRUG ADDICTION IN PUNJAB

Drug addiction is a serious problem in the region of Punjab. One of India’s most prosperous states, the fertile land of the five rivers and nation’s bread basket is having to struggle with a serious problem.

Children as young as 12 years of age are seen to be involved in the drug trade. Drugs are openly sold and easily available.

It is estimated that four out of ten men are addicted to some or other drug and that up to 50% of those are young farmers.

The fact that there is a steady supply of drugs from across the border is another reason. Heroin smuggled is in from Afghanistan and Punjab is a part of the transit route for drugs.

SLIDE 5Drugs problem and women in Punjab

Among young people, the drug abuse has become more or less a part of their sub-culture, their way of life. The drugs problem is Punjab has been rooted in several factors – economic, political,

geographical and social – each contributing in their own way – to destroy the fabric of the State.

Recently there have been some changes, however, in understanding of the problem. Women’s groups have been witnessing increasing drug abuse among women and are demanding, and rightly so, more legislative measures, policies and programmes. The HIV epidemic, coupled with transmission of diseases like hepatitis and tuberculosis introduces new dimensions of risk.

Major family problems associated with drugs abuse are:• Alcohol and drug use have genetic influences• Domestic violence• Child abuse• Impaired family relationships• Dysfunctional family responses• Marital conflict – abuse, separation, divorce

Politics is a part of the drugs problem in Punjab. Police investigations have uncovered links between political leaders, businessmen and drug smugglers. In the 2012 Assembly elections, the Akali Dal-BJP alliance had promised to eradicate the drug problem. Barely two years later, a drug lord who was arrested named Cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia, the brother-in-law of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, as the kingpin of the flourishing drug racket.

SLIDE 6How did the youth in the Indian state of Punjab get addicted to drugs

The Past

First, let me mourn the death of 'Sonney di Chidi' that Punjab was, once. It was a prosperous state with abundance in resources. Even more promising was the leadership of those times (somewhat upto 1839) in Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After the last heir of Sikh Misls, Punjab has fallen into attrition; the rate of which has assumed large proportions since the Akali-Congress double trouble after the exit of Britishers. Punjab never really recovered after the Maharaja.

. The reasons for Punjab's Drug phenomenon 1. Due to the People

Due to a combination of these factors, parents here are unable to keep a tab on what their children are doing. The 'good fathers' are busy minting money to keep up with the 'showing off', the 'bad fathers' are busy drinking alcohol to keep up the masculinity and the mothers are busy with their mid-age ailments or in their kitties, suits & shoppings and meanwhile the child enjoys forbidden company.

2. The resultant Culture

This is an extension of what's mentioned above but deserves separate attention. Its now a different story on the land of Pirs, Fakirs, Gurus & Eternal Lovers. Today's Punjabi culture is hollow from the inside. People show off their Kothis, Cars and Zameens to attract 'status' match for their children.

3. The Government (or Law & Order) Often at times people of Punjab blame the Akali-Congress government for the widespread deterioration

AKALIS The fact is that a large mass of Punjab is befooled by the Panthic-Image of Akali Dal. Punjabis are unable to see 'religion' and 'politics' as separate entities and the Akalis miss no opportunity to mix both of them and garner votes. The no. of 'Thekas' are more compared to no. of government schools in the state.

CONGRESS The congress has failed its people as well, being unable to stop rampant corruption or bring industry to the state. There is hardly anything to choose between the two. And whosoever tries to speak the truth (which is generally against them) is isolated, dragged into fake cases and thrown into notoriety. The often repeated regimes of Akali & Congress in the past have killed all hopes that Punjabis do think of their future.

AAP

Punjabis gave a shimmer that all values are not lost and that they do want to give chance to a new regime thatdoes promise, howsoever weak, a government free of corruption, favouritism & Red-Tapism when they gave 4 seats to AAP in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the maximum seats won by AAP in any state. 4.The Geography It is slightly unfair to blame this drug menace on geographical location of the state because a strong government can easily keep cross-border things under a check

C. The Future Who will save Punjab? Probably a wave of enlightened lower class or a messiah like Shri Guru Nanak or someone like Sardar Bhagat Singh who has lost everything in life and his sole purpose is to fight for righteousness.

Slide7Control of drugsThere are numerous governmental offices in many countries that deal with the control and oversee of drug manufacture and use, and the implementation of various drug laws. The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is an international treaty brought about in 1961 to prohibit the use of narcotics save for those used in medical research and treatment. In 1971 a second treaty the Convention on Psychotropic Substances had to be introduced to deal with newer recreational psychoactive and psychedelic drugs.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States is a federal agency responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter medications, vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices, cosmetics, animal foods [34] and veterinary drugs.

Slide8

conclusion

Drug addiction is a powerful demon that can sneak up on you and take over your life before you know it has even happened. What started out as just a recreational lifestyle has overcome your life and affected every single aspect of it.

You don’t have to be caught up in the web of drug addiction. There are so many things you can do to get yourself clean and sober, and there’s no better time than the present. Overcoming drug addiction is a long and often painful process.