Up until 1990, Albania was ruled by a communist dictatorship. The now-democratic government is currently battling the legacy left by communism. One such legacy is the poverty and corruption that set the stage for the illegal drug trade. Criminal gangs grow and harvest cannabis in Albania and then sell the produce to western Europe, Albania included. It fetches a lot of money with little police involvement. In fact, the criminals must be getting a pay rise because more and more people are wanting drugs.  

I have heard quite a few stories about people taking drugs: a young woman under peer pressure and a homeless man on the streets with no hope in his life. I have even seen these people first-hand. 

I was in Tirana, the capital city, with my friend and her family. Our intention was to do a bit of shopping, and my friend’s parents decided it would be nice to stop for an ice cream on the way. As we were sitting there on a curb watching the world pass by, this apparently homeless guy, who had been hanging around, started dancing and doing cartwheels in front of us. My friend and I exchanged glances and did our best to ignore him; he looked to be on drugs. He ended his “show,” bowed, and said, "I'm Ergi. You will never forget me." He repeated it a few times and then, when all he got in reply was silence, he went away. After we finished our ice-cream, we walked down a few streets, did our shopping, and headed back to the car. By some terrible coincidence, our crazy man was there as well. We kept on walking and tried to get in the car unnoticed, but our bad luck continued. He went up to my friend's dad and asked him for money. In the end, he gave him a few coins to send him away. He backed off, so we thought it worked. My friend and I were just getting in the car when we heard a tremendous bang over our heads. For one moment I thought he was shooting at us. But then I realised he had thrown the coins at the metal sheet behind us.

This is just one example of drug usuage and there are many more in various shapes and forms. However, the effect is always the same: a completely wiped personality. And the amazing thing is, that is what some people want. It is my best guess that people resort to drugs to provide an escape. Maybe people are in a hole so deep that they can’t see the way out and decide that drugs will help make them forget about the hole. Poverty, discrimination, and peer pressure make that hole and it’s getting bigger and bigger as more people find their way into it. As a result, more people are taking illegal drugs. Those criminals are getting rich on people’s depression, anger, and worry. Not the prettiest picture, hey?

It’s hard to say what we can do about it; poverty, discrimination, and peer pressure will always be a part of life. People will always want to take illegal drugs. Should we target the criminal gangs selling the illegal drugs, so that people can’t consume it at all? I’m not so sure. In a twisted way, making the drugs legal might be the right thing to do. It would stop the criminal activity, ensure the drugs are pure and regulated, and create tax money for the government. The money can then be channeled into building a ladder out of the hole. It’s a plan that has already been executed in Portugal, the Netherlands, Mexico, Canada, and other countries. These nations might have the right idea, but only time will tell.