The Times of India
MUMBAI: A
father waited anxiously at a psychoanalyst's suburban clinic a few months ago as his son's
test reports were sent in. When the results were finally revealed, tears
welled up in his eyes. His teenage son had tested positive for consuming a
party drug. The father felt concern but also fear: did this make his child a
criminal; would he have to face the stringent laws meant to tackle drug trafficking.
The
psychoanalyst comforted the father and assured him that the son was not a
criminal. The recent police raid on a Juhu hotel has highlighted the same
concerns, with many questioning if a casual drug user should be tarred with the
same brush as a hardened trafficker. Psychoanalyst Anjali Chhabria said there is a generational
shift in the way most soft drugs, like cannabis, and some other illegal
substances are viewed in metros.
"There
is a rise in casual drug use, but addicts and occasional drug users cannot be
treated as criminals," Chhabria said. Many doctors and lawyers emphasized
the need to ease the morality attached with the issue of casual drug use. Legal
experts said that Indian drug laws are modelled on international conventions,
but they deviate on the point of making consumption an offence.
"Rather
than imposing criminal punishment, it must be seen for what it is—a health
issue," said Dr Harish Shetty. India's narcotic laws give a person caught
with a small quantity of drugs (for personal consumption) one opportunity at
rehabilitation. But is that one chance enough, asked a senior advocate. Lawyers
said that worldwide there are examples of people who experiment with drugs in
their younger days but do not turn into addicts. "Should the law then not
differentiate between a consumer and a trafficker and decriminalise casual drug
use?" said a lawyer. Said senior advocate Amit Desai: "The wrath of
the law must fall on the trafficker. Even a small peddler who forms the last
link in the drug chain has to be dealt with strictly. But a person who uses
drugs for personal consumption may be treated differently to rehabilitate and
reform him."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Casual-drug-users-not-criminals/articleshow/13649955.cms
No comments:
Post a Comment