HARI ESOK

Monday, November 08, 2010

Latest on drug addiction

Latest on Drug Addiction

In 1985, WHO declared that drug addiction has spread world wide and reached epidermic level. It is beyond control. And these drugs are mass killers.
“ Our casual approach to drinking in our society is actually destroying lives and destroying people ” Alan Morrison New South Wales Ambulance Service ( Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/8407309.stm Published: 2009/12/11 10:50:09 GMT)

Latest study, reported in medical journal LANCET concluded that:
“MCDA modelling showed that heroin, crack cocaine, and metamfetamine were the most harmful drugs to individuals (part scores 34, 37, and 32, respectively), whereas alcohol, heroin, and crack cocaine were the most harmful to others (46, 21, and 17, respectively). Overall, alcohol was the most harmful drug (overall harm score 72), with heroin (55) and crack cocaine (54) in second and third places. (The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 1 November 2010 Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis
Original Text
Prof David J Nutt FMedSci a , Leslie A King PhD b, Lawrence D Phillips PhD c, on behalf of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs)

And yet these same drugs and their use are spreading fast in Malaysia too:

The Star Online > Nation
Friday November 27, 2009
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.
> Starprobe
MThe Star Onlineonday November 23, 2009
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.
The Star Online > Nation
Monday March 1, 2010
Drug relapse rate high
KUALA LUMPUR: Almost half the drug addicts under rehabilitation have returned to drugs, said National Anti-Drug Agency (Nada) director-general Datuk Abd Bakir Zin.
All efforts to control drug supply and drug addiction, declared as Malaysia's enemy number one long time ago, have failed. Only when Islam is practiced as a complete way of life has problems related to drug addicition been solved.

An Example to be followed
The number one addictive drug anywhere in the world, is alcohol. Its use far surpasses use of other addictive drugs like heroin, ganja, cocaine, amphetamines etc. Alcohol addiction was rampant in the jahilliyah Arab society, just as it is now in the 'modern world'. Nabi Muhammad s.a.w came and started an Islamic revolution which change the total way of life of man, in all aspects, like leadership, government, education, economy, social life, personal and interpersonal relationship etc, thus reducing the level of stress, and within 20 years, epidermic alcohol addiction was abolished.

Man's response to Islam with respect to alcholism
Anas bin Malik r.a reported that he was entertaning Abu Ubaidah Ibnu Jarrah, Abu Talhah and Ka'ab r.a with alcohol when the commandment that made alcohol haram reached them. Abu Talhah r.a asked him to destroy the alcohol. Anas r.a did so. (HR Bukhari and Muslim).

This response to the commandment was wide-spread, not only amoung the alcohol drinkers but also among the alcohol traders, so much so that rivers of alcohol flowed in Madinah. Thus alcohol addiction as an epidermic was abolished only within 20 years.

This effect of Islam, on indivuals and society, is seen even today.

Islam's effect on man in the 'modern world'
Drinking alcohol is a norm in the Western world. Anyone who does not drink is regarded with suspicion. Yet when an alcoholic reverts to Islam, he can immediately stops drinking. This is examplied by ex-British Premier Tony Blairs' sister-in-law, Lauren Booth after her reversion to Islam:

“Now I don't eat pork and I read Quran every day. I'm on page 60.
“I also haven't had a drink in 45 days, the longest period in 25 years. The strange thing is that since I decided to convert, I haven't wanted to touch alcohol, and I was someone who craved a glass of wine or two at the end of the day.” (Blair's relative converts to Islam. New Straits Times Monday October 25, 2010).

The mass effect of Islam in present time was seen in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Within three years of Taliban rule, the government was able to stop poppy cultivation and herion production. This was confirmed by U.N. Yet, after only a few years of the fall of Taliban government, engineered by USA, Afghanistan returns as number one herion producer in the world.

Why Is Islam successful in abolishing Drug Addiction?
The answer is simple. Studies done in the 1960s showed that the underlying cause of drug addiction is stress. Allah already told Nabi Adam a.s in heaven how stress can be overcome.
Allah created man to be in stress/toil. He also provided guidance how to manage stress:

38.We said: "Get down all of you from this place (the Paradise), then whenever there comes to you Guidance from Me, and whoever follows My Guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve. (Al Baqarah 2: 38)


Anyone or nation that ignores Allah 's guidance do so with peril.

This is Allah's guidance on drug addiction:

219. They ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit." (Al Baqarah 2:219)

90.O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, Al-Ansab , and Al-Azlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitan's (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful . 

91. Shaitan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from As-Salat (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?
92.And obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad ), and beware (of even coming near to drinking or gambling or Al-Ansab, or Al-Azlam, etc.) and fear Allah. Then if you turn away, you should know that it is Our Messenger's duty to convey (the Message) in the clearest way. (Al Maiddah 5:90-92)



Result of ignoring Allah's guidance
Nabi Adam a.s was led astray by Iblis. Thus Allah ordered him to leave syurga.

“120. Then Shaitan (Satan) whispered to him, saying : "O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away?"
121. Then they both ate of the tree, and so their private parts appeared to them, and they began to stick on themselves the leaves from Paradise for their covering. Thus did Adam disobey his Lord, so he went astray.
122. Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him with forgiveness, and gave him guidance.
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 Qur'an 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 120-12 4)

Hardship afflicting 'modern' man is nothing but a consequence of ignoring Allah's guidance. So why is man reluctant to return to Allah's ways?