The sad fact is that in our country, intoxicants like cigarettes, pan, ghutka and snuff are considered less harmful to health. Although every year thousands of people are suffering from various diseases due to pan and ghutka. In our society the aforementioned addiction is not considered a social evil.
This is the reason why shopkeepers are selling cigarettes and snuff to children without any hesitation. Due to which some children bring cigarettes or snuff for their parents and other relatives and they themselves become addicted to it. Recently in the provincial capital Peshawar action has been taken against shopkeepers who sell snuff and cigarettes to minors.
According to the police it is illegal to sell snuff and cigarettes to people under the age of 18. In that regards 3 months imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 100,000 should be imposed on those shopkeepers. The police says that those who are selling cigarettes and snuff to minors will be charge for that misbehave.
The police said that in the first phase a pilot project has been started from Swat after that operations will be carried out in other districts of the province. It is a good tradition form the police to take action against such vendors but along with this case it needs to be looked at socially as well. Until parents take interest in this important issue such impossible tasks cannot be done. The main reason for this is that the police do not have enough additional personnel to identify such vendors across the province to identify those selling drugs to children.
Therefore it is necessary to oppose it at the social level, for that purpose the first step should be taken by any citizen from his own home and he should refrain from ordering snuff and cigarettes from his and his relatives’ children because the minor negligence of people addicted to cigarettes and snuff can cause a child to become addicted to it at a young age.
On the other hand the companies and factories making these products should also write prominently on these products that this drug should be kept out of the reach of children or its sale to children is a legal crime. In this regard until every citizen should takes his responsibility, the law enforcement agencies single handedly cannot achieve success against it. In this respect there is a need to create sensitivity on the part of social media and social personalities so that the awareness can be raised among the above-mentioned drug addicts that the minor precautions taken by them can prevent many children from getting addicted. Thus such people should not only refrain from taking drugs in front of children but should also refrain from ordering these drugs through them.
Remember these small actions bring decency in the society which our society is unfortunately losing but in civilized countries special care is taken about it besides do not using drugs in front of children although talking loudly or immorality is also avoided.
Even in the family entertainment programs and dramas made in these civilized countries, special care is taken for it. it is not right to attribute 100% of such issues to the law enforcement agencies in every case, rather people of every concern society should not play their role in solving such social problems. So it is impossible to eliminate a social evil unless collective responsibility is taken.
In order to eliminate any evil in the modern world, universal representative principles are first decided for this purpose at the national level. After which legislation and constitution are made but we have not yet developed such a custom. That is the reason why these evils are increasing day by day.
