Drug addiction in Kashmir is an issue that hurtles into an occasional media spotlight but never gets the public and the government attention that it deserves. We only get to hear about the scourge in the form of statistics. Last year in August, the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment conveyed to the Parliament of India that approximately 13.50 lakh drug abusers are estimated to be in Jammu and Kashmir, with the majority falling within the age range of 18 to 75 years. This is an alarming number and must otherwise prompt an immediate government response with a proper roadmap to address the situation. But that hasn’t happened. And we expect that the administration takes the issue seriously and plays a role that is required of it.
Last year, a study found that around 52,000 people alone are using IV Heroin, among whom 34 percent are unmarried. What is more, while a recent study of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi said that Punjab has 1.2 percent of opiate users, Kashmir study has revealed the percentage at 2.87 percent.
However, it is not difficult to see what is leading the youth towards drugs. The complexity of the crisis lies in its multifaceted origins, where poverty and unemployment play a key role in pushing many young individuals into the clutches of addiction. Another major factor is the political conflict of the past over thirty years which is taking its toll on the youth. According to unemployment figures, jobless rate in Kashmir is 24 percent with unemployment among women at 48.6 percent. There are also a huge number of uneducated and unskilled youth who look forward to no future. The reigning political uncertainty and the humanitarian fallout of the past three decades have only reinforced the sense of hopelessness, leading youth to ease their frustration through drugs.
That said, the dismal state of affairs is no less aided by the easy availability of prescription drugs in the state. As a society, we are always inclined to trace these wrongs to the prevailing political conflict in the region and hence absolve ourselves of the responsibility to collectively play a role in redeeming the situation. We need to step up and face the humongous problem head on. Government, on the other hand, needs to actively engage young people in income-generating activities, including sports, to ensure that those who benefit from rehabilitation do not relapse and are embraced by their families and society once they change their ways.
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