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With more than 300,000 addicts reported in the Himalayan country, police seek to prevent an increase in drug trafficking.
Sunita Maharajan, a 42-year old mother of two sons, was delighted after her elder son Saroj passed the School Leaving Certificate examinations with distinction, considered a gateway in Nepal's education system. College is next.
![A drug addict smokes after having his detoxification dose of methadone at the Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programme run by Saarathi Nepal, a organisation that provides treatment and support for drug addicts, in Kathmandu. The number of addicts in the country is estimated to have reached 300,000-400,000. [Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/06/19/120619_KIRAN_NP_DRUGPROGRAM.jpg)
A drug addict smokes after having his detoxification dose of methadone at the Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programme run by Saarathi Nepal, a organisation that provides treatment and support for drug addicts, in Kathmandu. The number of addicts in the country is estimated to have reached 300,000-400,000. [Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters]
"But I'm worried that when he goes to college he may come in contact with bad people," Maharajan told Khabar south Asia.
She is one of many parents in urban Nepal who fear their college-going children can be easy targets for narcotic drug suppliers.
Nepali policymakers also share her concern that a growing number of young people have become victims of drug abuse in recent years. On June 6th, police announced a five-month long nationwide awareness campaign.
"We are aware that the problem of drug abuse is very serious in the country. We are increasingly aware that this problem has affected the younger generation very much in recent years," said Joint Secretary Laxmi Dhakal at Home Ministry, which is responsible for formulating drug control policies.
Police estimate there are around 300,000 to 400,000 drug users in the country. Around 20% of these users are estimated to be young people, according to police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Binod Singh.
In addition, there are growing concerns that Nepal is being used as a transit route for international narcotics smugglers.
Singh said the campaign is being launched in partnership with citizens and representatives of civic and social organisations. The goal, he said, is to mobilise trained people down to the village level, the lowest administrative unit in Nepal.
"We hope that this awareness campaign will help minimise demand, trade and production of narcotic drugs in Nepal as people become aware of the harms of narcotics," Singh told Khabar. The campaign was launched in co-ordination with Narconon Nepal, which works to eliminate drug abuse in Nepal.
Maharajan said she was happy to learn about the campaign and hoped it would prevent young people from falling into the trap of drug abuse.
"Though we have laws against the use, trade and trafficking of narcotic drugs, there was a lack of awareness of programmes targeting the young generation," she said. "I hope the campaign will be crucial to saving the young generation from the harms of drug abuse."
Working for better education an example of jihad, young Muslims told
Efforts to boost schooling and job prospects for Muslims is a "right cause," officials say.
![Bangladeshi rescue personnel carry stretchers with the remains of garment workers from the site of a collapsed building in Savar on May 9th. With a death toll of at least 1,127 workers, the April 24th collapse ranks as the world's worst industrial disaster in recent history. [AFP]](/shared/images/2013/05/14/130514_TASHFIN_BD_COLLAPSE-100_67.jpg)
![Here, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen (centre) and Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda (right) open the 2013 Jaffna International Trade Fair on January 18th, aiming to inject more energy into the economic revival taking place in the former war zone. [Photos by Nilupul Perera/Khabar]](/shared/images/2013/02/26/130226_LK_ESSAY1-270_180.jpg)
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Reader Comments
ramesh pandeyMay 2, 2013 @ 09:05:40AM
number of addicts are increasing day by day. needs to do the awarness programme in school level as well as otherwise our country , society has to face the big problom.
Maria MeilakAugust 3, 2012 @ 04:08:49AM
Narconon in Nepal. Now Nepal will finally be able to get people off drugs for good. A program that works! A "high on life" is what the Nepal people need to re-experience again not a "high on drugs" with the Methodone program being splashed around. A waste of tax payers money and not to mention the continual distruction to the addict and his/her loved ones. With drugs out of the system for good you can start to see what is infront of you "LIFE" the Nepal that once was. Well Done Narconon - a program that gets the job done!
IpanJuly 29, 2012 @ 02:07:48PM
A bit sruspried it seems to simple and yet useful.
CristinaJuly 29, 2012 @ 09:07:54AM
Maoist cannot form a gmevrnoent according to the Interim Costitution.The current prime minister can only be removed by a 2/3 majority.And I don't think anyone has a 2/3 majority in the CA.The PM will be the same, ministers different.And the executive will still be governed by 7 party alliance.
Charles TonnaJune 21, 2012 @ 07:06:28PM
I really like this story on what Narconon are doing. Its great to see some one giving it a go and trying to get rid of the problem. I did drugs for 10years and have been drug free now for over 17ears, I owe this to what is used on the narconon program. The methadone program is a complete waste of time and money. Giving Methadome to drug addicts is like giving free alcohol to alcoholics any person with half a brain can work that out. Put them all through the Narconon program and get them of drugs for good and with the millions of dollars saved you will able to feed the starving people or put it into education where people can learn to make better decisions then giving methadone to addicts. Nepal you just got sold a load of Western bullshit at a very expensive price. Because now you also have paid for Methadone addicts.
Kevin OwenJune 19, 2012 @ 02:06:16AM
Good work. we have run the campaign here in New Zealand over the last year and seen good results. "Some of the highlights in Rotorua included a 36.7 per cent decrease in recorded robbery, extortion and related offences, a 25 per cent decrease in public order offences and a 31.2 per cent decrease in illicit drug offences."