Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) was established on 21 February 1995. The Anti-Narcotics Force is the principal agency for combating supply and demand reduction of illicit narcotic drugs that enter Pakistan mainly through the long porous border with Afghanistan. These drugs are then smuggled out of Pakistan through the Pak-Iran border, long Makran coast or by sea and air. The national strategy on drug interdiction envisages active and effective cooperation from other law enforcement agencies as the ANF is thinly spread due to its inadequate numerical strength. The ANF has its Headquarters at Rawalpindi with five Regional Directorates at Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. In addition, it has 28 Police Stations in the country. Seven Control of Narcotic Substances (CNS) Courts have been set up to try the cases of persons arrested on the charges of drug trafficking.
Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Although the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, the brain changes that occur over time challenge an addicted person’s self-control and hamper his or her ability to resist intense impulses to take drugs.
Drug addiction is a cyclic phenomenon. Drug addiction is the end result of a sequence of events. When people have a pleasurable experience with a drug, they want to repeat that experience. Over time they build a tolerance to the drug and develop a psychological and physiological dependence.
Prolonged use of drugs can cause irreversible damage to the brain, including but not limited to the ability to reason, memory, physical coordination, and a host of physiological maladies.
With the development of modern research techniques in fields of drugs and substance use, addiction can be successfully managed. There are two types of treatment for drug addiction.
Treatment is a gradual process and it varies depending upon the type of drugs used and the time of usage. Multiple course of treatments may be required for full success. It should be noted that drug abuse can never be fully cured and there is always a chance of falling back into addiction. Treatment however, enables people to effectively cope up with the harmful effects of drugs and live their life efficiently.
As per CNS Act 1997, the responsibility for the registration and rehabilitation of drug addicts fall within the purview of the Provincial Government. However, to provide quality treatment and meet the growing requirement of rehabilitation facilities, the Anti Narcotics force has established Model Addiction Treatment & Rehabilitation Centres (MATRCs) to provide free treatment, food, boarding and rehabilitation to drug addicts. Efforts are also made for their job placement after they are effectively treated and rehabilitated.
How can people register with MATRCs for their treatment ?Any person suffering from Drug Addiction can register themselves at MATRCs for their treatment. MATRCs are established at Islamabad, Quetta & Karachi. The registration procedure requires following steps:
MATRC’s are established in Islamabad, Quetta & Karachi. Their address and contact are as follow:
MATRC -Islamabad
