With the Jammu and Kashmir State facing shortage of drug de-addiction centres, it has been seen that the children aged blow fifteen years continue to fall prey to the drug abuse.
One of the mental health expert warned that youngsters addicted to drugs are more likely to commit violent crimes. “The state has been facing a serious challenge to curb the menace of drug addiction due to the absence of treatment centers,” the expert told KNS, insisted not to be named.
They (experts) believe that the government must build treatment centers in every district hospital to control the spread. “If government fails to do so, we would be left with no protection to prevent it from spreading to our next generation,” he said.
Sources told KNS that the Drug De-addiction Centre at SMHS Hospital is not able to cater to the increasing number of patients coming for treatment due to dearth in staff.
Sources said that the survey conducted by United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) had said that there are seventy thousand drug addicts in Kashmir division alone including four thousand women.
The survey had also revealed that 65% to 70% students, both male and female, are drug addicts. “In the last few years we have seen a spurt in the number of drug peddlers and users,” one of the doctors at SMHS community centre maintained.
As per the government psychiatric disease hospital statistics, 90% abusers belong to the age group of 17 to 35 years with a lifetime prevalence of drug addiction. “A huge number of people, both men and women, taking drugs are high and it should be a concern for all of us; we need to tackle this problem. We have youths who opted out of studies due to drug addiction. There were also cases of people dying due to drug overdose,” one of the officials in the health department said.
Sources said that most of the young people in Kashmir valley use drugs because of curiosity and the belief that it will reduce their problems like stress, trauma, anxiety or depression (failed love relationships, failing exams, stress of growing up and the rest).
Sensing the need and importance of curbing the menace of drug abuse, J&K Police took an initiative in 2008 to deal with this menace and a Drug De-addiction Centre was established in the premises of Police Control Room Srinagar.
Sources within the police said that from last five years Drug De-addiction services have helped thousands of people in outdoor and indoor departments.
However the higher officials in the police said that although the Initiative from J &K Police is appreciable but in order to curb the growing menace of drug abuse every person should take the responsibility and join hands with each other against such a problem.
Sources said that the lack of proper treatment has also become one of the hindrances to prevent the rise of drug abuse among youths. “This menace can be handled in two ways. There must be more drug de-addiction centres which can help these children to lead normal lives and parents must look at their children’s activities and develop quality relationship with them,” one of the doctors said.
Meanwhile experts emphasized the dire need of awareness camps at schools so that students could be prevented from getting into the menace.
The authorities in the school education department said that they were continuously making efforts to make students aware about harmful effects of drugs. “We mostly hold seminars in boys’ schools and we have directed the principals of all schools to make health clubs and involve students in making masses aware about the effects of substance abuse.
Expressing his concern over drug menace in Jammu and Kashmir, Director General Police (DGP), S. P Vaid said that Police have already launched a massive war to eradicate this menace from the society.
“Jammu and Kashmir Police have declared a full- fledged war against drug menace. Directions have been given to every officer to keep strict vigil on drug trafficking. Police department is for complete wiping out of drug menace from the state,” the DGP said.