By Saifullah Ansar
This is the story of my friend. When he was just 17, he was studying in matric class and was a well-known student in his school. He used to top his class and was very intelligent in his studies. His teachers admired him greatly, and he was also active in sports, especially cricket. He was an all-rounder, both a batsman and a bowler, and also the captain of his team. They played hard-ball cricket tournaments all over Pakistan and were recognized as one of the best teams. His life was going very well, and his family was living happily with him.
Unfortunately, one day he met the owner of a political group which had more than forty thousand members across Pakistan. The owner invited him to join, and without knowing the consequences, he agreed. That was the turning point in his life.
After joining, he started meeting group members daily. Most of them were much older than him, while he was just 18. Many of them used drugs. Slowly, he began losing interest in his studies and cricket, getting more and more involved with the group.
One day, he saw someone from the group smoking cannabis. The person looked so happy and relaxed that it caught my friend’s attention. The very next day, at a birthday party, another member offered him cannabis. At first, he refused, but under pressure, he tried it for the first time. He felt happy and relaxed but kept it a secret from his parents.
The next day, he asked one of the group members to give him more because he liked the feeling. From then on, he started using cannabis regularly. Since he came from a wealthy family, it was easy for him to afford it, and through the group, it was always available. Within six months, he became fully addicted.
Eventually, one of his group friends moved to another city but told him where to buy cannabis. My friend continued using it every day for over a year. Then, one day, his father found cannabis in his pocket. The whole family was shocked and angry. He finally confessed everything. By then, he had already left his studies and cricket, fighting with his parents constantly for money to buy drugs.
His parents decided to send him to a rehabilitation center in another city. He stayed there for 10 days, and the doctors declared him fine, but in reality, he wasn’t fully recovered. At first, he seemed better, but when his old friend returned from work, they started using cannabis again secretly. His parents thought he was recovering, but he was still addicted. Eventually, his father caught him again, and this time he involved the police, which led to the arrest of his drug-using friend.
Frustrated, his family sought help from an army officer, who suggested sending him to an army rehabilitation center. After a month of waiting, he was admitted and spent 40 days there. Though the living conditions were poor, he met many other addicts and, for the first time, realized how much he had ruined his life and disappointed his parents. Coming from a respectable and educated family, he finally decided to quit.
After three painful years of addiction, he managed to leave cannabis behind. However, the cost was huge: he lost his studies, his cricket career, and many good friends. Today, he is slowly rebuilding his life and living in a better way, but those three years were like hell for him and his family.
This story shows why the government must take strong steps to stop drugs in the country. The police have a major role to play, but unfortunately, many officers themselves are involved in selling drugs. The government should ensure strict accountability and checks on law enforcement. At the same time, families must keep a close eye on their children, and young people must choose their friends wisely. Society, family, and government together can help stop the spread of drugs.
The writer is a staff member.
