“The greatest mistake in life is to get addicted to drugs becoming a prisoner of ecstasy and hallucination, and less of a man.”
A simple google search reveals that around the world drug use is directly and indirectly responsible for 11.8 million deaths every year. About 270 million people (or about 5.5% of global population (aged 15-64) had used psychoactive drugs in the previous year and about 35 million people are likely to fall prey to the same by next year. These figure are appalling and present a very grim picture of the future to come. The land of Kashmir has also been affected by the drug abuse. According to a report published by United Nation Drug Control Program, around 70 thousand people are drug addicts in the Kashmir division among them predominantly younger age group. According to reports by Psychiatric Hospital Srinagar around 90% drug abusers belong to the age group of 17-35.
The Director of the Drug De-addiction centre Srinagar, Dr. Muzaffar Khan, has said that “the trend of drug abuse is on the rise among school children as we have registered many such cases, where students of Class IX to XII are involved.”
After petroleum and arms, the drug trade is the third largest business in the world. It is estimated in a report of the United Nations (2017) that about 25.5 million people in the world are suffering from drug use disorders. Kashmir is also moving rapidly towards this vice. The valley has been flooded with huge quantities of heroine and other psycho active substance coming via Line of Control (LoC) from Pakistan in recent years. The data revealed that there has been more than 1,500 per cent increase in patients approaching the hospital seeking treatment for substance abuse in three years .As per the J&K police data, in 2020, more than 36 kilograms of pure heroine and 49 kilograms of brown sugar were recovered from different parts of the Valley. North Kashmir districts of Kupwara and Baramulla , which share a border with Pakistan, accounted for 21 kgs and 7 kgs of heroin respectively recovered in 2020. Similarly, in the first five months of this year, over 25 kgs of heroin have been recovered by the police and security forces, mostly along the LoC.
Kashmir has been through the two decades of Pakistan sponsored terrorism that aims at destroying the future of youth of Kashmir not only by poisoning their minds with false propaganda & Narrative but also poisoning their souls with illegal supply of drugs. The drug trafficking remains one of the major source of income generation for terrorist organisations.
As far as the problem of drug addiction in Kashmir is concerned it has been observed that valley has seen exponential rise in substance abusers over the past decade. A renowned psychiatrist in Kashmir Dr. Maqoob and Dutta in their book have reported that around 2.11 lakh drug addicts in Kashmir valley. The common Substance used by Drug Addicts in Kashmir are Cannabis, Brown Sugar, Heroine, SP tablets, Anxit, Alprax, Inhalants like Fevicol, SR solution, Thinner, Shoe Polish and Paint varnish.
The Pakistan sponsored terrorism and unemployment are the main reasons for drug addiction among the youth. As the competition in terms of employment is increasing because of growing population and lack of resources, wherein elsewhere the private sector offers adequate opportunities to the youth but in Jammu and Kashmir government jobs are the only option. Bad company or peer pressure is also considered as one of the reasons for drug addiction. A study conducted on the youth of the valley revealed that about 78 percent of drug addicts have turned to drugs due to peer pressure and bad company. Drug dealers have developed a modus operandi to lure in new users. Initially, new users (as young as 10 yr old) are provided with packets of drugs free of cost, till they get hooked up. Then, they have to pay as much as 1000 INR for a gram of heroine.
This grim picture of drug abuse in the Kashmir valley has put a lot of challenges for the people of the valley in general and for Government agencies, Non-Governmental Organisation in particular. The biggest challenge is the illegal trafficking and sale of drugs within the valley to which police and general public have an important role to play. With full public support and cooperation, security forces can work more efficiently towards controlling this menace. The other challenge is the limited facilities available for rehabilitation of drug addicts. More drug de addiction centers are needed to rehabilitate the victims. Lack of awareness about both Drug Addiction and the process of detoxification and rehabilitation is also a challenge.
To curb the menace and diminish this horrific picture of substance abuse in valley, the Security Forces have taken an initiative by conducting awareness programs in three districts of Kashmir Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag. These awareness programs lead to establishment of drug de addiction center at Police Control Room Srinagar. The drug de addiction center is managed by a Clinical psychologist, Psychiatrists, de addiction Social workers, Counsellors, medical officers, and yoga trainer. The center admits a person for detoxification and rehabilitation only after their own motivation and proper medical check-up. Usually, a patient is admitted for the period of 3 or 4 weeks. In addition to this Security Forces have also made efforts to stop the trafficking of drugs within the valley. With regard to this, Security Forces have seized several crores worth of consignment of drugs illegally sent across LOC to valley. It is the need of the hour that the pace of this drug addiction should be reduced. In order to curb this problem the first and foremost step which the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has to take is, strict action against drug peddlers, opium cultivators, and chemist shops that sell psychotropic medicines. Another important responsibility is of the parents and the teachers. Instead of scolding and punishing their wards who have become addicted to drugs, they have to deal with them with love and patience. They should try to increase the morale and confidence of drug addicts that they can shun this vice. Parents should also consult professional interventionists to help find the real cause of stress and ways to manage it.
Government Agencies, Educational institutes, NGO’s and other social work institutes need to educate people especially young generation about this problem. The awareness on the part of Parents and caretakers is also an issue to tackle so that they can detect this problem as early as possible and they can provide immediate help to the person. A large amount of the literature suggests that enhancing a victim’s social support and inculcate in him or her some positive behavior can help him get rid of this menace. Drug Addicts often feel isolated and sense of alienation, so providing them certain kind of social and moral support help and make them more empowered to get over this problem.
Finally people of Kashmir have to understand that the Idea of Aazadi, Kashmir different from India the Jihad are just a narratives to fool the people of Kashmir. It is Pakistan and some wested local Kashmiris who drive such narratives and benefit from it. Tis Terrorism in driven by an economy (Money) and this economy in getting funded by Drugs which are being fed to our youth. Kashmiri have to understand this gave plan, rise up against it and protect their children from this menace of Jihad & Narco Terrorism lest this Drug menace will eat into the youth and future of Kashmir & India.
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