Trans. by B.NARANTUYA
“My son uses narcotics. He is only 14 years old. Please help us,” say many parents. There are 36 Mongolian citizens who have been arrested abroad on narcotics charges, and four of them have been sentenced to execution while nine of them have been jailed without terms of release.
There are many types of psychoactive plants that grow in Mongolia, covering over 15 hectares of land. The number of people who gather these plants and sell them has increased over the last few years. Many cases of under-aged children using psychoactive plants, smoking illegal drugs, or even getting high on gas fumes have been reported with more frequency. The increase of widespread cases of narcotic and illegal drug use is now affecting the nation’s health and safety, yet no specific programs are addressing the issue. At least a survey should be conducted to determine which part of Mongolia is facing the greatest problem with drug abuse.
An association that protects citizens from narcotics asks the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health and Sports every year to conduct a nationwide survey, but due to the absence of funding, the two ministries always decline. A total of 70 million MNT is needed for carrying out the survey.
By conducting a survey, we will be able to know where psychoactive plants are growing and how many people use illegal drugs. Appropriate measures can be taken to end drug abuse.
A survey of 2,000 children residing in Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan-Uul, and Orkhon Province was conducted last year. The survey showed that 571 of 2,000 children had used drugs. Since it’s believed that behind every one person there are four more people who have used drugs, there are at least 2,000 children in Mongolia who have experimented with drugs. This is the result of surveying only three areas, while 19 provinces are left with an unknown number of drug users.
Of the 571 students who claimed to have used drugs, 66 percent had used one type of drug, while 34 percent of them had used two to eight types of narcotics and psychoactive drugs through drinking, smoking, inhalation, and injection. Furthermore, 49 percent of the students surveyed said they smoked marijuana, 28 percent had used lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 25 percent had abused morphine, 21 percent have used heroin, 18 percent had used ecstasy, and 18 percent had used methamphetamines.
In 2013, nearly 37 crimes involving narcotics were registered, and 99 people were involved in 77 crimes. The number increased in 2014, where 131 people were investigated for 58 narcotics related crimes. According to a three-year study, 62.6 percent of people investigated were between the ages from 19 to 25. It can be said that mainly youth are using illegal drugs.
The negative effect of narcotics affects the health of our population. Mongolia is already at dangerously high stages of drug abuse, yet we don’t have any specific policies and laws on the issue. Organizations, such as the police, customs, hospitals, and non-governmental organizations that deal with drug addicts and users state that policy and laws on narcotics are required. The issue needs an independent law, they say.
Psychoactive plants grow following the railway and roads. In one word, the plant itself is miraculous. It grows without cultivation and spreads seeds in the wind. The only way to destroy the plant is to burn a field for three years. Since funding for the issue is problematic, the burning process doesn’t take place that often. Moreover, since the people who use heroin and methamphetamines is on the rise, illegal imports from China have increased over the years.
In highly developed countries, once a narcotics user is arrested, that person undergoes medical treatment before being sent to jail. While in Mongolia, the person is sent to jail directly.
The following is an interview with the director of an association protecting citizens from narcotics, B.Nyambayar.
Your association meets with drug users every week to give them counseling. How many people attend the meetings? What are their results?
Our association was established in 1999. At the moment, over 90 people from ages 20 to 50 are involved in our activities, and 30 percent are women. Those people are provided with health screenings and psychological counseling. After the counseling, many people say, “I will quit using narcotics,” however, they can’t. In over 10 years, only six people have recovered from drug addiction.
What kind of drugs do they use? What drives them to use it?
Over 80 percent use morphine. First they take the substance to treat severe pain, but it ends up becoming an addiction for many of them. Mainly people who are in living with better economic conditions use narcotics such as cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy.
How do narcotics affect health?
Narcotics harm the central nervous system. If a person uses narcotic for many years, the person becomes very skinny, their skin becomes yellow, their choroid becomes calloused, they often suffer from insomnia, and can become impotent. Their mental ability becomes weaker than a normal person’s and they face a greater risk of AIDS and HIV infection.
What kinds of treatments are used to cure addiction?
A perfect cure is needed but we don’t have that here. We only do detoxification at the moment. For example, in the USA there are social organizations where drug users are sent instead of jail. In Mongolia, we don’t have that.
What should people do to protect their families from drug addiction?
The negative effects of substance abuse must be explained to children. Special training or a program must be taught at general education schools. Most of the time, children follow their friends without knowing the negative effects of drug use. There have even been cases of a child dying after using expired morphine. That’s why we need certain policies and laws on the issue. There are many drug users in our country. We must protect them from this epidemic.
Source: Unuudur Daily