A campaign that started with justice for Sushant Rajput and his unfortunate death seems to be meandering into uncharted waters of drugs and sleaze with only muck, grime and filth thrown out in abundance with each passing day. All and sundry of the entertainment industry are basking in the glory of a two-minute verbal spat across media channels, small and big. Drugs must be investigated. But so, must his death too. However, do we really care? Deaths are forgotten with time. Effect of drugs is anything but ephemeral. Should their esoteric abilities be exposed to the poor masses who have lost jobs to the pandemic and left to the vagaries of life in the name of Gods and demi Gods? The armchair critics will keep debating if the channels should discuss drugs or lost jobs and Covid. It suits the government that the channels have chosen to discuss drugs and Bollywood.
Have we ever realised how rampant and deep the rot has spread? We can buy practically any drug, even those requiring a medical prescription across the counter, in any city or village. Many pharmacies sell medicines for heart diseases, depression, pain and antibiotics for infection without a prescription. A little more enterprising will even sell on a sham of a prescription that is a ‘WhatsApp’ message purportedly given by a doctor. How many pharmacies can honestly say they verify the prescription before selling drugs? There are even some friendly pharmacies who arrange for a free consultation with a doctor, who then sends the needed prescription for a price. Some even provide bills for schedule H medicines that are strictly prohibited. Is not Ganja (cannabis) seeds and leaves prepared as Bhang not available freely? Don’t we see Chillum smoking “Sadhus” in “Kumbh” like melas? What is the role of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization in the perpetration of these maladies? What is the role of PCI for that matter? We thrive on a system that creates rules assuming everyone is a thief and then propagate it as though everyone is unequal.
It is in this scenario, that the current drug abuse and bust must be seen. Cocaine and other psychostimulants have a complex interaction between the environment, pharmacology of the drug and the user. Concurrent use of several drugs with different pharmacologic effects is increasingly seen. A combination of morphine, heroin, opium, and cocaine, tranquilizers like Valium and Xanax and methadone can be lethal. Stimulants and hallucinogens that induce euphoria and alter consciousness have been there for centuries. Cocaine and marijuana are two of the most commonly abused drugs today. Synthetic drugs like MDMA, LSD, PCP or GHB are produced in the labs. Since they are all banned, they find their way into the dark markets. Mafia’s are not just in drugs but everywhere, will thrive given the level of traction allowed by the law enforcing agencies, the people and the society. Surely no one will let go an officially rated 500-Billion-dollar illegal world drug market.
That the drug abuse is rampant in the entertainment industry is unfortunate. Is it native to it? Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol are the cruel engine of many an artists’ creativity. Our occupations determine how we spend our time and energy. In addition to a sense of satisfaction, fulfilment and identity, our jobs stress us. A study by the Centre for drug use and Research at NYU College of Global Public Health reports that, construction workers are more likely to use drugs than workers in other professions. Drug & Alcohol abuse is also seen in the Food Service and Accommodations Industries. Addiction transcends all social and economic barriers, including professional boundaries. Professionals, 15% to 20% in the world of business, healthcare, law and finance are just as vulnerable to the stressors, fears, and anxieties that lead to substance abuse as workers in any other field.
Have we not heard doping in sports? Athletes, even at the highest level of participation use performance-enhancing drugs (PED), fully knowing they are prohibited and that their career could be at stake. Be it National or World games, haven’t we heard so many famous names caught using anabolic steroids, human growth hormones, beta-blockers, stimulants and diuretics to name just a few? Even energy drinks that we normally have, often contain high doses of caffeine and other stimulants.
The entertainment industry portrays everything larger than life. It is highly unorganised, and exploitative. The movers and shakers wear their king-size egos on their sleeves. The informal and unorganised nature of the industry makes it vulnerable to not only drugs but probably all ills of the society. A desire to survive come what may and mix with who is who of the industry, pushes them to seemingly innocuous parties, actually rave, resulting in unwanted promiscuities and acquaintances. No one is spared. Be it a boom operator, a photographer, a model a hero or a heroine. Crime is just the next stop.
The question is where do these drugs come from? We are tenth largest country to produce Cannabis. A lack of accessibility will lead to their illegal sale. The law enforcement has only pushed much of the illegal drugs and steroid industry into the black market. Still, the menace can only be contained by effective petrol, monitoring and control of sources of drugs. Never can it be eliminated. Like prostitution, it has roots in the human being’s evolution.
Serious malaises require innovative ways of tackle. In the 10% formal sector, where the attributes are much controlled, cannot periodic drug test results be embedded in the Aadhar card? By consequence, any drug history can debar the incumbent from a gainful employment for a period of five years. For the informal sector too, the same data can debar him/her from all social benefits in addition to a loss of career. The drug history can capture, the drug used, the source of drug, the contra indications, possible treatments and detox strategies. Additionally, such data can become a registry, of drug users and abusers that can only help the government create an effective drug control regime.
At the broadest level, the government must also device a drug control policy that has a choice between a system of prohibition, under which drugs are not legally available for nonmedical use and a strategy of regulatory containment, under which drugs are legally available for nonmedical use by adults.