Fighting Drug Addiction

Fight Against Drug Addiction : Any Hope for Man?


Allah says that means:

123. (Allah) said:"Get you down (from the Paradise to the earth), both of you, together, some of you are an enemy to some others. Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery.
124. "But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Quran nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection."
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Yes, there is hope for man against this world-wide drug addiction epidermic. We only have to follow Allah's guidance. Otherwise there is no hope, as can be seen by the relentless spread of this menace to every nook and corner of the world.
Drug Addiction Through History
A report in the NST said that according to a survey by U.N, drug addiction has reached epidermic level all over the world and is out of control now. (New Straits Times [NST] 21 Jan 1985)
Another report stated that the Reagan administration had done everything to control illicit drug supply in USA. Unfortunately it had failed. It said, as long as there is demand for the drugs, the huge income from drug smuggling will always induce drug smugglers to take whatever risks. (NST 19 Sept 1984)
Even death penalty is not a deterrent
Malaysia has the toughest law in the world against drug smugglers. Yet, it is not a deterrent, as the following reports show.
1. “ (Selangor Narcotics Department chief) Nordin said the arrests brought to 44 the numbers of foreigners detained at KLIA for drug smuggling this year ( RM 1.5 m in drugs siezed from 3 foreigners: NST Thursday Feb 18 2010)
2. JOHOR BARU: Singaporean Heng Chye Lai was sentenced to death by the High Court yesterday for trafficking in more than 230gm of methamphetamine three years ago.
(2010/02/19(NST)

3. Report: Drugs seizures and use in Malaysia are increasing
BANGKOK: Malaysia is at the crossroads of becoming a major market for amphetaminetype stimulants (ATS), according to a new report.
Large amounts are trafficked into the country, in addition to large scale domestic manufacture, said the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific.
UNODC said Malaysian authorities had seized considerable amounts of trafficked methamphetamine and ecstasy each year, and confiscated some of the largest clandestine ATS manufacturing facilities in the world, including five in the first three months of this year.
Gary Lewis, UNODC Repre­sentative for East Asia and the Pacific, said while traditional illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine had been contained, the use of synthetic drugs was on the rise.”
Bernama ("The Star Online > Nation Friday November 27, 2009)
The failure in fighting against drug addiction and drug smuggling all over the world , however, has failed to change the strategy to combat this menace. Everywhere governments keep repeating the proven failed strategy..
The Underlying cause of failure
As stated by the Reagen administration, the underlying cause for this failure, despite all the huge finance, latest technologies and strategies employed by the US government and copied by other governments all over the world, is the continuing demand for the addictive drugs.
Why is the demand for these self-destructive drugs persisting through times, despite 'all the development achieved so far'?
In the 1960s, scientist had pin-pointed the basic cause of drug addiction: STRESS. As long as stress exists, demand for addictive drugs will be there, because these drugs temporarily relieve stress.
But man is born with stress. So, how do we handle stress?
Man is created in stress
Allah, the Creator of man, says that means:
4. Verily, We have created man in toil.
But He also gives guidance how to manage this stress:
10. And shown him the two ways (good and evil)?( Al Balad 90: 4,10)
The Correct Way to handle stress

57.O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur'an, ordering all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and differences, etc.) in your breasts, - a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things, etc.) for the believers. (Yunus11: 10:57)
58.Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest .
(Ar Ra'd 13:13:28)

How to Implement
Man has the best teacher as to how to implement Allah's guidance. He says that means:
21.Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad ) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.
(Al Ahzab 33:21)

Nabi Muhammad s.a.w implemented Allah's teachings as a way of life, complete in all aspects needed by man.

The result
Allah uses alcohol as an example of an addictive drug. In pre-Islamic Arabia, an in the world now, alcohol was the number one addictive drug. By implementing Allah's guidance, within a very short time of 20 years, Nabi s.a.w was able to reduce wide-spread stress, thus removing the basic drive for the need of alcohol. Thus, ended alcoholism as an epidermic.

When Allah sent the command banning alcohol in the year Hijrah 20, the response of the people was dramatic. Those who were drinking, immediately stopped. Those who have swallowed, tickle their throats to induce vomiting. Merchants who traded in alcohol, threw out their ware so much so that streams of alcohol flowed in Madinah.
Thus Allah's promise was fulfilled.

123. “. Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery.” (Ta Haa 123)

Present Times
Alcohol is now not only not ban, in the West, anyone not drinking alcohol is regarded with suspicion. As a result, drinking alcohol is widespread and has become a prestige. Untold problems are widespread:

“Children minister Dawn Primarolo said .
"Although the majority of young people are law-abiding and don't cause any problems in their communities, in some areas of the country some young people's drinking is getting out of control.
"This can lead to more serious low level crime and the disruption and intimidation of communities.
Chief Inspector Laurence Taylor led the crackdown in Brighton.”
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/8309827.stm
Published: 2009/10/15 23:02:14 GMT

Australia blitz on drink violence
Australian police are beginning their biggest co-ordinated operation to curb alcohol-related violence nationwide.
Alcohol-related violence, including sexual assaults and fights, has nearly doubled in the past decade and a half.
“ Our casual approach to drinking in our society is actually destroying lives and destroying people ”
Alan Morrison New South Wales Ambulance Service .
Each week the abuse of alcohol kills on average more than 60 Australians, while 1,500 end up in hospital.
Alan Morrison from the New South Wales Ambulance Service says what he calls an epidemic of self-destruction must be addressed.
"There certainly is a cultural acceptance of drinking in Australia and I'm not sure I understand why that is the case.
"I see the effects of it all the time and I think most people don't come into contact with the kind of things paramedics or police or emergency departments see to understand that our casual approach to drinking in our society is actually destroying lives and destroying people," he said.
NICK BRYANT AUSTRALIA
Neurological experts have warned that binge drinking could be inflicting untold damage on the brains of young Australians.
Although this country has always had a boozy reputation, it ranks about 20th in the global alcohol consumption league table.
People in Britain, for example, drink about 25% more than their Australian counterparts.....”

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/8407309.stm Published: 2009/12/11

In Malaysia now

“Designer drugs that can kill catching on among the young
PETALING JAYA: Designer drugs like methamphetamine and Ecstasy are becoming the drug of choice for abusers, who are getting younger, with some hardly in their teens.
These “party” drugs are becoming more popular than opiate-based drugs as they are more easily available ­­‑ being concocted locally - and hard to trace through standard police urine tests. There is also the misconception that such drugs are not addictive.
●       The National Anti-Drug Agency will begin a pilot programe by the year’s end to specifically treat synthetic drug abusers.”” (“The Star Online > Starprobe Monday November 23, 2009”)

But is it going to implement Allah's guidance?

Present Day Success In Fighting Against Addictive Drugs
Allah's guidance is for all times.
Israel uses addictive drugs to weaken Muslims youth in Palestine. Initially, this strategy succeeded, but failed later when majority of Palestinians turned to practicing Islam fully. Hence, the continuing fight by the youths against Israeli occupation and cruelties.

Afghanistan, within a short time of 3 years of Taliban rule, succeeded in controlling morphine production, confirmed by U.N. However after USA toppled the Taliban government, Afghanistan returned as the number world supplier of morphine.

Our Choice?
Allah says that means:
“And shown him the two ways (good and evil)”( Al Balad 90: 4,10)

123. (Allah) said:"Get you down (from the Paradise to the earth), both of you, together, some of you are an enemy to some others. Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery.
124. "But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Quran nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.' (Ta Haa 20:123-124)

And so, we and the future generations will go on suffering, living in hardship...unless we make the correct choice. It is our choice. Allah gives us eyes , ears and brain to make decisions. May Allah open our hearts to make the correct choice, accept and implement His guidance.
Amin