Fighting Refugee Drug Abuse in Pakistan

Mercy Corps workers Salma Bibi and Taiyyaba Kakar are providing drug education to refugee women. Drug abuse is a growing problem for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps

Sitting on the floor of a room lined with beautiful hand-embroidered tapestries, Salma Bibi is holding court. About 20 women are gathered around her. She is telling them about the hazards of drug abuse and misuse. Salma Bibi is a Mercy Corps volunteer community worker in Surkhab refugee village in Baluchistan, Pakistan.

According to Taiyyaba Kakar, Mercy Corps Project Coordinator, drug abuse and misuse is a growing problem among Afghan refugee women. "These women face a lot of problems and have many responsibilities. They are very poor and many are depressed," says Taiyyaba. "Women use drugs to relieve the monotony of their hard life of carpet weaving."

With funding from the United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP) Mercy Corps has launched a Drug Demand Reduction Program to assist local healthcare professionals, community development workers and community groups to better address the abuse and misuse of drugs and related healthcare issues. It is currently operating in three refugee villages in Baluchistan: Surkhab, Pirolizai and Chagai.

In Surkhab village, Salma explains that the biggest problem is misuse of sleeping pills. "They are easily available - no prescriptions are required and they are sold at all pharmacies for cheap," she says. "Opium is also a problem, but not as great."

Children are also a major focus of the drug awareness and reduction program. There has been a growing trend in mothers giving sleeping pills to their children to make them sleep during the day, so the mothers can work without interruption. Mothers also give pharmaceuticals and opium to children to make them stop crying.

Salma is teaching women the dangers of giving drugs to children. "The women don't know any better. I am teaching them how to care for themselves and their families properly," says Salma.

Taiyyaba notes there are three stages of prevention: Drug awareness, treatment and social reintegration. The program is currently focused on stage one: drug awareness. Future prevention training will emphasize treatment and reintegration of former addicts to the community.