Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday spoke of the desire to make Goa a drug-free State. While the aspiration to make Goa drug-free is quite a virtuous one, most locals, especially those living in tourist hotspots know deep down that it has a rampant market here and in certain cases, cops have allegedly worked hand-in-gloves with traffickers.
Curbing the drug menace has never yielded positive results across the world with the US' war on drugs being a great example. Another route that exists is legalization which has been adopted by Portugal and focuses on public health rather than public order.
The Goa Government will have to make its intentions clear and examine why it will take a certain approach. The fight against drugs will be a long-drawn battle and will require honest people at the helm which are lacking. Acting on candymen and mules will not disrupt the trade as they can be easily replaced and as long as there is a demand, there will always be supply. Attacking the source would be the way to go.
