SCRIPT

• UNZILA: Assalam O Alaikum and a very good morning to you all. I am your host Unzila

Atiq and welcome on our Show Sunrise.

So before starting the show, I want to ask a question from you. As we all have some kind

of habit. It could be good or bad. So I want to ask from you people that do you have any

kind of habit which you are unable to control?

(After listening answers from audience)

Okay. So our today’s topic is also about an addiction that is increasing day by day in our

society and especially youngsters are the worst victims of this evil addiction. That

addiction is the drugs addiction. Many people in Pakistan are addicted to different kind

of drugs such as cigarette, heroine, shisha and many other specifications.

Let’s see a small package on this topic.

(Played Video on usage of drugs in Pakistan)

To discuss this matter in detail, we have invited a clinical psychologist and an addiction

expert Dr. Sumbul Younus and Sub-Inspector from anti-narcotics force Roubaisha Zahid.

Assalam o Alaikum.

• DR. SUMBAL: Walaikum Assalam.

• ROUBAISHA: Walaikum Assalam

• UNZILA: I will start with you Sumbal. First of all thank you for being here with us. So as

we are talking about the increasing use of drugs in our country. What do you think why

people specially youth of our country is rapidly getting involved in this addiction?
• DR. SUMBAL: For the usage of drugs there could be multiple factors like social, personal

and emotional that can be accounted for this increment in drugs addiction but I would

like to talk about the social and environmental factors which make the line share in the

casual factors of drugs addiction. We do talk about peer pressure and while mental

factors, some sort of trauma one goes to through and to get out of that trauma that

they think that using drugs will ease their pain on their emotional and psychological

ground which is actually the other way around. So this is the main reason that our youth

is involving in this addiction. There is also the excitement seeking behavior due to which

the person start using the drugs.

• UNZILA: Yes, absolutely. The pressure of studies is super high now a days, and the race

of getting good grates is making students more stressed and to escape that stress,

students start using drugs.

• DR. SUMBAL: There is not only specific reason. There are multitude of factors of using

drugs.

• UNZILA: Now coming towards you Roubaisha. What would you like to say about this

matter?

• ROUBAISHA: First of all Thank you for inviting me on the show and raising this

important issue, Firstly we have to know the perspective of this topic that how all this

trade of drugs is working.

Right now, the world’s drug economy per year is $435 billion dollars. You will be

shocked to listen that per day average death in world due to over dosage of drugs is

around 600 and the average number of deaths in world due to terrorism is 39. So you
 can see the difference that drugs are destroying people all over the world more than

terrorism. So this is the scenario in which we are living. Now if we talk about Pakistan,

drugs are easily smuggled, from Afghanistan to Pakistan right under the noses of

concerned border forces. Afghanistan is one of the producer of a drug called heroin and

Pakistan consume the highest ratio of their heroin production that is 40% and in Karachi,

10 lac people are involved in drug addiction. Through these figures you can imagine that

drugs has become the major problem for Pakistan nowadays and is destroying every age

group of our country.

• UNZILA: It’s very sad to listen that although being an Islamic state Pakistan is involve in

the consumption of drugs.

We have invited three girls who have gone through this addiction. So I would like to

welcome Sadaf, Uroosa and Sana on stage.

(Audience clapping)

I would like to thank you for coming on the show and sharing your story with us. It’s

really hard to tell about the struggles that you are going through. I will start with you

Uroosa. How you started taking drugs.

• UROOSA: I had some friends in my university who introduced me to drugs. I went to

party with my friends where different types of drugs were being served. I went to this

type of party for the first time in my entire life and everything was so new for me. Then

my friend ordered a drink for me there and after consuming that drink it gave me an

immense feeling of relaxation that I never felt before. I started feeling stress free. I

asked my friend about the drink so she told me that this drink contains tranquilizer.
 Tranquilizers is a kind of drug taken to reduce stress and tension. Then I started using

this drug. My friend provide me different kind of drugs which keeps my mind relax. My

parents didn’t like my friends but I fought with my parents for them and didn’t listen to

them. And now I am facing the consequences of using these drugs. I can’t give up on

them.

• UNZILA: I would like to ask you Roubaisha as she told us that she got those drugs from a

party. So aren’t these kind of parties are illegal in Pakistan where drugs are provided to

people so easily?

• ROUBAISHA: Obviously these parties are illegal in Pakistan. These are called

underground parties that are arranged by the drug dealers in Pakistan to target people

and getting them involve in the drug usage. If the people are caught in arranging the

party so there is a legal punishment for them.

• UNZILA: What’s that punishment?

• ROUBAISHA: Under sections 6, 7 or 8 of the control of narcotics act, the person involve

in the illegal practice of providing drugs shall be punishable with death or imprisonment

for life, or imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years and shall also

be fine up to one million rupees, if the quantity of narcotic drug, or controlled substance

exceeds the limits.

• UNZILA: Now coming to you Sadaf. What’s your story of getting into this addiction?

• SADAF: Few years back, I had to move to Islamabad for my graduation and I started

living in hostel. I had my two roommates and we became very good friends. Those girls
 used to smoke cigarettes. One day they told me to try the cigarette so I just took one

puff, and then I started using it on daily basis.

I get so frustrated and aggressive, if I don’t consume it. Even if I try to remain calm, I just

can’t do it. Few months back, I was having breathing problem so I went to doctor and

after some tests, he told me that I have lungs cancer and I’m on my last stage of lungs

cancer and now I feel really bad for using it at first place.

• UNZILA: So didn’t you try to get rid of it?

• SADAF: I tried multiples times but it’s not that easy.

• UNZILA: It’s all very heartbreaking to hear that how a bad company can lead you

towards death. Parents should be careful about their children’s friend and should watch

that with whom their children are meeting and should look after their activities.

Sumbal I wanted to ask as she told that she told that she got know about her disease at

last stage so aren’t there any early symptoms of this diseases?

• DR. SUMBAL: Yes, there are multiple symptoms of lungs cancer like cold, cough,

wheezing and asthma are just the start .but we don’t pay attention we think that it’s all

these things are just because of environmental and atmospheric changes.

• UNZILA: Most of the people commonly are addicted to smoking. Are there any sort of

medicines that can reduce the craving of smoking?

• DR. SUMBAL: Two non-nicotine medication can help to reduce craving of smoking and

withdraw symptoms of smoking. By taking these two tablet for 12 week but if you have

successfully quit smoking in that time .You can use for further 3 to 4 mouth to reduce

the smoking relapse.

• UNZILA: Now coming towards you Sana. What were the reasons that forced you to start

using drugs?

• SANA: I had the addiction of CNS Depressants as a drugs. This is actually a medicines is

used to treat depression and stress. My parents suddenly become sick. They come on

dialysis, it is very horrible for me. I am also a student and with all this work load. I

become totally depress and take too much and started taking CNS Depressants. I used

to feel so much calm, peaceful and relax after using the anti-depressant. With the

passage of time my consumptions toward the anti-depressant increased. Initially I used

take medicines three time in day then afterwards my addiction towards anti-depressant

increased gradually. And then I started the over dose of this medicines.

Due to the over dose, I notice some physical changes in my body like; I felt so much

sleepy, laziness. Everything seems like a burden. I was totally unable to think and unable

to do any activity whether in home or in university. Sometimes not commonly, I felt

difficulties in breathing. I was the only child of my parents and they were so worried

about me. And then I realized that I was becoming burden for my parents and I should

be the one who should support them. I realized that these drugs or medicine abuse is

dangerous for my health. I told my parents about my condition and they cooperated

with me and sent me to a rehabilitation Centre to get rid of this addiction and

Alhamdulillah now I have got over this addiction of using anti-depressant.

• UNZILA: Were these medicines prescribed to you by any doctor?

• SANA: No. One of my relative used to take these medicines and I once heard from her

that this medicine relaxes our mind. So I noted the name of this medicine and bought it

from the medical store.

• UNZILA: So the shopkeeper gave you this medicine without prescription?

• SANA: Yes.

• UNZILA: As far as I know. Selling medicine without prescription is illegal.

• ROUBAISHA: Yes. Absolutely. If any medical store is reported for selling medicines

without prescription, their store will be sealed and they will be charged with the fine of

1 lac or imprisonment for 10 to 20 years.

• UNZILA: Now as the time of our show is ending, Sumbal what would you like to say in

the end of the show.

• SUMBAL: I want to give message to the youth that taking drugs is not a solution of any

of your problem. It only destroys your health physically and mentally both even after a

person has stopped taking the substance. And secondly, please don’t take medicines

without doctor’s prescription as its overdose can cause you serious diseases.

• UNZILA: And Roubaisha what would you like to say on this topic?

• ROUBAISHA: I just want to say that parents should take care of their children and if any

one of you notice any sort of unusual activity in your area that someone is selling or in

taking drugs so you can complain on number 111-222-331 and can report about that

problem.

• UNZILA: Time of our show has ended. Thank you all of you for being the part of this

show and sharing your stories with us. As Roubaisha told us that if you see any unusual
activity of selling or consumption of drugs in your area so immediately call 111-222-331

as it’s our responsibility to help our forces to stop this addiction. Take care of yourself

and your Family. Allah hafiz.