3 Reasons Why We Must Prioritise Human Dignity And Health Rights Of People Who Inject Or Use Drugs
The moral and legal lens to drug abuse fuels social stigma and discrimination India has estimated 850,000 people who inject drugs of which an alarming number of 460,000 are children. Apart from this reality, there are also an additional 1.8 million adults who need help for inhalant dependence and around 7.7 million Indians require help for opioid dependence (All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The moral and legal parameter to judge a person dependent on drugs is a double-edged sword that exhibits judgment and punishment more than it does empathy and compassion. And the punishment perhaps is not the best approach to correction. The moral outlook makes the people dependent on drugs seem morally weak and inferior beings leading to curtailing of their human and health rights. In turn, they become disempowered sometimes even losing their lives. Reintegrating them back in society also becomes a challenging process. Most at risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis C (HCV), and ot...