Sikkim drug users' forum says criminalization of drug users does more harm than good

GANGTOK: The Sikkim Drug Users’ Forum (SDUF) in a statement highlighted that criminalization of drug users does more harm than good.

It said that criminalization of drug users for use and possession for personal use has been there for about 15 years in the state.

It the probation and criminalization has resulted into overdose or unnatural deaths, health crisis, arrest, marginalization, social and economical exclusion etc.

"... most importantly this has contributed significantly in breaking families apart and limiting access to any kind of support", it added.

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The SDUF claimed that even the pandemic has not been able to change the consequences of stigma and criminal sanctions very few "marginalized" community groups face.

"It is therefore not a matter of surprise that the lives of people who use drugs may be most difficult in terms of them being able to access even basic health services , legal and social support or even to be able to exist with dignity in their homes, communities or even prisons where they land up for posessing small amounts for personal use. It shouldn't be hard to guess why they remain most at risk of HIV, viral hepatitis, TB and most recently CoVID 19", it added.

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Emphasizing that history of the drug probation and criminalization was never based on science and evidence, it said that the history was rather based on racial, prejudices and control over certain communities.

The SDUP further stated that alcohol use and abused is more than any other form banned drugs as per a recent survey which according to the organization could not be solved by criminalization.

"The baseless narratives of drugs being bad, evil and punitive crackdowns on drug users has made the lives of drug users further more challenging to function in society like a human being", it further added.

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