Today, drug trafficking has become the “mother of all problems” in the world. Due to the immense profits, it yields, it has spread across the globe, particularly in Islamic countries. But what are the reasons and factors driving individuals to sell and distribute drugs?
Unemployment and Lack of Suitable Jobs: The primary and most significant factor contributing to drug trafficking is unemployment and the absence of suitable job opportunities. This issue is closely related to government policies, as there are often inadequate and ineffective programs for engaging young people.
High Income: Unfortunately, many individuals become millionaires and billionaires overnight through drug trafficking. Young people, seeing that they can earn millions in a single night, often engage in this activity, unaware that just as quickly as wealth is gained, it can also be lost.
Poverty: Due to a lack of work and proper job opportunities, as well as overall poverty, some individuals turn to drug trafficking to escape their destitution.
Another motivating factor behind drug trafficking is the aspiration to go abroad and enjoy a luxurious lifestyle.
Ways to Combat Addiction and Drug Trafficking
In many countries, experts have concluded through years of study that the primary way to combat drug addiction and eradicate its roots is by eliminating the environmental and motivational factors that lead to addiction in the younger generation.
When a society deliberately turns away from drug use and addiction and actively fights against drug distribution networks by exposing them, the drug market loses its customers, and addiction as a negative value fades from society. Globally, experts employ two approaches to control this destructive phenomenon: some focus on preventing the supply of drugs, while others emphasize reducing demand as the best solution.
There are various strategies to prevent the spread of addiction in society, and these can be implemented through expert analysis. However, it is essential to address both the “supply” and “demand” sides. This means that with careful planning and implementation, if we reduce the demand among addicts through compassionate and effective programs, the need for drugs will automatically decrease. Consequently, the drug import market will suffer, and traffickers’ businesses will fail.
On the other hand, efforts must be made to make the supply of drugs more challenging so that traffickers cannot easily smuggle these harmful substances into the country, thus making them less accessible to the public. Therefore, actions in both areas must be approached with great awareness.
Here are some examples of strategies to combat the spread of addiction and drug trafficking:
1. Strong Faith and Correct Beliefs: One of the most important and effective strategies in confronting addiction and its trafficking is fostering firm faith. When the love of God resides in a person’s heart, they seek to please Him and refrain from even the smallest mistakes.
2. Identifying Causes of Addiction: It is necessary to create opportunities for research centers to investigate the roots of this destructive issue, thus building an invisible barrier against addiction.
3. Understanding the Needs of Youth: The basic needs of young people include education, employment, marriage, housing, and recreational facilities. By understanding these needs and taking serious steps to address them, families, young people, officials, and other institutions can work to prevent addiction and support recovery for those already affected.
4. Proper Upbringing of Children: The family is the primary setting for raising children. Parents play a vital role in shaping their children’s upbringing. The methods they employ in childhood will serve as the foundation for their future lives.
Allama Syed Abul Hasan Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him) references a verse from Surah Tahrim, stating: “There is no word in the Qur’an without purpose. Here, instead of ‘O Muslims,’ the verse addresses ‘O believers! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones.’ Would any person knowingly throw their child into the fire?”
So, what does this verse mean when Allah says, “O believers, protect yourselves and your families from the Fire”? Is there an event recorded in the books of “Seerah” (the Prophet’s biography) where the Companions of the Prophet intended to throw their children into the fire, or where the children themselves wanted to enter the fire while the Companions watched? Did the revelation come down because there was a possibility that, in the future, some Muslim children might throw themselves into the fire? If such an incident never occurred, then what is the meaning of this verse? Certainly, the purpose is to warn against actions that would lead to Hellfire.
Indeed, there is a danger that children and family members might, knowingly or unknowingly, engage in behaviors that would lead them to Hell. For instance, if someone provides a harmful and deadly drug to another person, resulting in their death, this action is tantamount to murder, and under the law, the person who supplied the drug is considered a murderer.
Failing to plan for children’s religious education and allowing them to be influenced by irreligious environments, while remaining indifferent, is a major error in terms of faith and will lead to the spiritual destruction of children in the hereafter.
The Role of Institutions and Cultural Centers: To protect youth from addiction, institutions such as schools, religious organizations, and community centers can play a significant and positive role.
The Role of Health: Globally, health initiatives take precedence over treatment. In the context of addiction, prevention through education and encouragement—especially among youth—should be a top priority in drug control efforts.
These are just a few examples of how to prevent addiction. Other effective strategies include the roles of education, media, job creation, combating unemployment, and supporting treatment programs.
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