STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Highlighting this year theme ‘Addressing drug challenges in health and humanitarian crisis’ to commemorate International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Dr. Sushil Sharma organized a health check up cum awareness camp in Ratian village in Miran Sahib area.
He contended that it is alarming to note that around 275 million people used drugs worldwide in the last year, while over 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders, according to the 2021 World Drug Report.
Most importantly, the pandemic period has witnessed the rise in use of cannabis in most countries. A rise in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs has also been observed in the same period. Globally, over 11 million people are estimated to inject drugs, half of whom are living with Hepatitis C. Opioids continue to account for the largest burden of disease attributed to drug use, he added.
Talking specifically in terms of adverse cardiovascular effects of illegal drugs, Dr. Sushil informed that drug abuse can have adverse cardiovascular effects, ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Injecting illegal drugs also can lead to cardiovascular problems, such as collapsed veins and bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves. Even so-called recreational cocaine users may have higher blood pressure, stiffer arteries and thicker heart muscle walls than non-users, all of which can cause a heart attack. Researchers while presenting a study at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions called cocaine “the perfect heart attack drug” and showed how users had higher rates of multiple factors associated with higher risks of heart attack and stroke viz., 30 percent to 35 percent increase in aortic stiffening; 8 mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure, and 18 percent greater thickness of the heart’s left ventricle wall. Some studies have even gone to suggest that one in five adults aged 18 to 44 who had experienced a stroke had abused illicit drugs.
Keeping in view the negative health effects of various illegal drugs on overall well being, Dr Sushil maintained that it is important to educate people about the harms of substance abuse and how to deal with peer-pressure or bad influences to discourage their use. Moreover, we need to give special attention to and take all practicable measures for the prevention of abuse of drugs and for the early identification, treatment, after-care, rehabilitation and social reintegration of the persons involved.
More than 300 patients were examined, evaluated and advised during the camp. ECG, Blood Sugar, HBA1C and Lipid profile was conducted and medicines were also given as per the requirements
Management Committee of the T R Gupta Public Charitable Trust T R Gupta, Rajinder Motial, Yashpal Gupta , Kailash Langer, Madan Mohan Gupta , Ajay Sabharwal, K B Jandial appreciated Dr Sushil and his team for conducting Cardiac awareness cum health check up camp .
Others who were part of this camp include Dr Ashok Gupta (Former HOD Paediatrics), Dr Dhaneshwar Kapoor, Dr Akhil Gupta, Dr T R Gupta, Dr S S Padha, Dr Zubair Lone, Dr Tanvir Bhat, Dr Anita koul , Dr Shivani , Dr Princy, Dr Avleen Kour , Dr Tohira.
Paramedics and Volunteers Include Kamal Sharma, Raj Kumar, Ranjeet Singh, Maqsood Ahmed, Raghav Rajput, Gourav Sharma, Rajinder Singh, Akshay Kumar, Vijay Sharma, Abhimanyu and Mukesh.
