Srinagar- The government’s crackdown on drug peddlers in the valley appears to be yielding results, as the Drug De-Addiction Centre, Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar has experienced a notable decline in the number of individuals seeking treatment for substance abuse this year.
Figures from the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) reveal that 1560 patients visited the center in the year 2023, compared to 3395 in 2022.
Last year, 1909 patients were from Srinagar district only while the rest came from other districts of the valley. However in 2023, only 728 such patients from the city visited the centre for treatment.
“The outpatient department (OPD) at IMHANS has seen a significant drop in visitors seeking assistance in the current year as compared with last year. Over 1500 new patients visited OPD and among them 330 addicts were admitted in the hospital,” an official from the de-addiction center said.
“Over 95 percent of them are males while 5 percent are females,” the official added.
Likewise, figures obtained from the Addiction Treatment Facility (ATF) at Jhelum Valley Medical College (JVC) Bemina reveal that the OPD attended to 563 fresh cases seeking treatment in 2023, a decrease from 1555 in 2022.
Notably, the government has launched a massive awareness campaign throughout the union territory to curb the drug menace.
The efforts of the UT administration was even lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July this year for tackling the menace of drugs including organizing musical nights and bike rallies in high altitudes in the Union Territory.
The UT administration has implemented a strict zero-tolerance policy and has initiated a campaign known as “Nasha Mukt Abhiyaan” to combat the issue of drug abuse. Under this initiative, the government of J&K has launched a campaign aimed at creating drug-free communities, including cities and villages.
“The main objective is to increase awareness among the youth and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) within the Union Territory, encouraging them to detach themselves from this detrimental issue,” said an official from the divisional commissioner office.
He further said that by employing a united and preemptive strategy, members from every sector of society will work closely with the administration to guarantee that villages and communities stay clear of the menace of drugs.
Dr. Yasir Rather, overseeing the drug de-addiction center at GMC, Srinagar, informed Kashmir Observer that the combined efforts of the government, medical practitioners, members of civil society, and media are yielding results, which is evident in the significant decrease in the number of patients seeking drug de-addiction treatment at IMHANS.
“I must say since the authorities have launched a massive crackdown on supply of heroin and are trying to break its chain, the number of heroin abusers have reduced significantly due to its non-availability,” Dr. Rather said.
He, however, added that the drug addicts are shifting to other drugs that need to be looked-into.
“There is a huge reduction in supply of drugs, and the aggressive awareness campaign by the government is yielding positive results,” he added.
“Decline in addiction magnitude seems to be good news for now, the news would be better if we are able to sustain our collaborative efforts and continue with this reduction in the number of cases for the next few months to years to achieve the goal of drug free society,” Dr. Rather added.
In order to keep a tab on substance abuse, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir conduct District Level meetings on Prevention of Drug Abuse & Narcotics Trade (NCORD) in every district of the union territory. During these meetings, deputy commissioners review the measures taken and the progress achieved in combating drug abuse within their respective districts.
The J&K police have also launched a massive crackdown on drug peddlers and their handlers, resulting in the booking of hundreds of peddlers under PITs-PSA and other Acts. The police have also started to attach the properties of drug peddlers across the UT.
Additionally, the police also launch special drives in every district to destroy wild bang (poppy straw) grown illegally by the smugglers.
Dr Abdul Majid, HOD psychiatry SKIMS Medical College Bemina told Kashmir Observer that even the statistics are a positive sign but it will be too early to celebrate and a lot of work is yet to be done.
He argued that a considerable number of drug addicts are from the transport and student community, who travel to other states in winter and don’t seek treatment here.
“Obviously, we need to applaud the government agencies for doing a wonderful job but there are many observations that we need to keep in mind. There is a lot of work yet to be done,” he told Kashmir Observer.
He said the government’s initiative of starting the Addiction Treatment Facility Centres (ATFCs) in every district in the UT is proving to be a game changer.
Notably, the government has set-up ATFCs in all districts of J&K to fight against drug addiction and mitigate the sufferings of the drug affected persons.
“Most of the drug abusers from the rural areas find it easy to visit their respective ATF centers. Thus the figures of hospitals in Srinagar are less but yes ATFs are helping a lot to curb the menace,” he added.
He said that the SKIMS Bemina has been running Addiction Treatment Services for the last two years and has treated more than 2000 patients till date.
He added that the department has been running services in Central Jail Srinagar, the first of its kind in the country, for the past year.
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