Drugs and the rebellious youth

We can introduce so many theories to explain all these rebels without a cause demonstrated by our youth. Defiance of the law under the watchful eyes of policemen, reckless driving under the noses of traffic patrols and the destruction of public property at schools, hospitals and universities are but a few of these ugly things.

Psychologists would probably attribute such outbursts to a deep feeling of alienation on the part of youth and to lack of worthiness. They compensate the perpetrator and make him feel more important, especially when people demonstrate lack of interest in engaging him or her over these ill-actions.

Pedagogists may probably refer the causes to parents’ lack of cooperation with schools, and to lax parental guidance and observation of the children’s deviant behaviour.

We can use trite expressions from various sciences like sociology, social psychology, social anthropology, economics and even philosophy to analyse this rapidly rising phenomenon in Jordan. But, I believe that all of these sciences can only offer the necessary but not the sufficient causes of socialist violence.

These all constitute the oxygen without which a fire cannot be started. Yet, the sufficient cause is a source of power which would be the ignition which sets a fire ablaze.

What is now more prevalent is the use of drugs and alcohol. Jordan viewed itself as a corridor; illegally used by drug smugglers to move the stuff to the lucrative Gulf markets. Now, Jordan itself is targeted as a market for illicit substances.

The tendency to use drugs and alcohol has been on the rise in light of many factors. The demand for both is usually anti-cyclical. The days of depression in the 1930s’ of the last century were the best years for drug addiction and alcohol guzzling.

Leisure, lack of income and the degradation of self-respect avail thousands of recruits for organised crime. The recent scandal of cigarette illegal manufacturing and distribution affirmed that the business has been going on for years.  The main runaway suspect, Awni Mutee, was reportedly an important figurehead in a crime organisation. By using payoffs and befriending some key officials, the homegrown group succeeded to manage one of the biggest and longest cover-ups in Jordan’s history.

Drugs are not homegrown or home-based businesses; they are structured and nurtured at both regional and universal levels. These are more lethal and less likely to be caught, sued, indicted and punished.

The real danger is that drug addiction becomes a huge economic and financial burden on families. In the last few years, we have seen familial murders mainly committed by sons against their respective parents when they are denied money to buy a fix.

What is even more worrisome is the fact that organised crime gangs that can reach our sons and daughters to sell them narcotics can enlist some of them to become sleeping terrorist cells.

The social, economic and political threats of organised crime should not be ignored. Our security departments are doing their best in the pursuit of drugs distributors. But counter remedial measures are also badly needed.