The curse of drug abuse in Kashmir is likely to pose a challenge for the new J&K government

Srinagar: With psychotropic drug abuse, particularly heroin use among youth, surging in Kashmir, whoever comes to power in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to face an uphill task in tackling the menace.

According to experts, cases of drug abuse have increased manifold over the years due to the ready availability of heroin and the rehabilitation centers in the valley are fully occupied.

Dr. Mohammad Muzaffar Khan, associated with a de-addiction center of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, said: “There is no doubt that the number (of drug abuse cases) has increased.”

“The latest report submitted in Parliament by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said that there are 10 lakhs (drug) addicts in Jammu and Kashmir, most of whom use heroin,” he said.

In 2018, people in Jammu and Kashmir are in denial about drug use and no one has recognized it as a problem, said Dr. Khan, who runs the Youth Development and Rehabilitation Center in Srinagar.

However, thanks to police efforts and an extensive awareness program, there is widespread acceptance that the menace of drug addiction is prevalent in the Valley, he said.

Dr. Khan emphasized that the addiction situation in the valley has changed and that this is also a big problem.

“Ten years ago, the predominant drugs here were cannabis and charas, which are grown locally. But in the last seven to eight years (from 2016) we see a different trend. “Now most patients are addicted to heroin and have developed an addiction to heroin,” he said.

The head of a private rehabilitation center said the youngest patient at the facility was 14 years old and the oldest was 60 years old.

Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Deputy Superintendent of Police Nisar Bakshi said the entire Jammu and Kashmir Police is fighting the drug menace.

Setting up this wing has narrowed the scope of drug smugglers, the police officer said.

“Counter-Narcotics is the special branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police established in 2020. It has two police stations in Jammu and Kashmir divisions,” he said.

After setting up this department, the properties of drug smugglers were seized and many of them were arrested, DCP Bakshi said, adding that the department registered 83 FIRs and 181 were arrested.

“This is not a police fight alone, it is everyone’s fight. If citizens do not cooperate with the police, we will not be able to achieve complete victory. If our children are not safe from this threat, the future is bleak. If we “If we want to make this place a heaven on earth, we must fight together against drug abuse,” Bakshi said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Kashmiri youth said, “I have been consuming drugs for the last four years. It started for fun and with friends. After a few days we started experiencing withdrawal symptoms.”

“I told my parents about the whole situation and asked them to take me to a doctor. They admitted me to the rehabilitation center, where I spent a month. I feel better now,” he said.

The youth now works as an outreach worker (ORW) at the same facility.

According to another person, he started using drugs in 2016 after seeing his friend doing it. “I started with cigarettes and then switched to heroin,” he said, admitting it was a mistake that cost him dearly.

“I lost everything and now my business is making a loss. Never do drugs,” the person said.

All political parties, be it the BJP, the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party, the National Conference or the Congress, consider the problem of drug abuse in the region as one of the major issues and have mentioned it during their campaign in the assembly polls.