Youth in Kashmir, compared to the rest of India, are addicted to drugs, which can easily be procured from medical stores without a doctor’s prescription.
There are over two lakh drug abusers in the Valley, according to the J&K police. Youth in Kashmir, compared to the rest of India, are addicted to drugs, which can easily be procured from medical stores without a doctor’s prescription.
The drugs which are normally consumed by these youth are opiates (pain killers), anti histamines like Codeine (cough syrups), depressants (tranquilizers, sedatives, anti-anxiety medicines) and stimulants (anti-depressants).
The state seems to have finally woken up to the danger looming in the society and has intensified its drive against abusers and chemists. Recently, the police organised a workshop for chemists and druggists in Srinagar to sensitize them about the dangers of addiction.
Speaking to ‘DNA’, deputy inspector general of police, AG Mir said: “Our main focus is to identify drugs users and reform them. Over 80% of drugs abusers in the Valley take prescription drugs — injectibles and pills.”
The drug de-addiction center set up by the police in 2008 on an average is visited by 300 patients every month. The figures have only been growing at an epidemic level, warn doctors. Youngsters in the age group of 18 to 27 are prone to it, Mir said. The police, in the absence of proper health facilities, is working towards creating awareness among the people.
Dr Muzzafar Khan, who heads the center in the Police Control Room premises, said: The problem is alarming and there has been an increase in number of people visiting the government psychiatric hospital. Due to the social stigma attached to visiting the police control room, people visit private psychatrists.”
The trend shows youth take drugs as a coping mechnism for stress and not pleasure. The effects of the drugs lead to heart ailments, increase in number of hepatitis, suicide, pneumonia cases and psychiatric illnesses.
However, in Kashmir there is no addiction center for women. Dr Khan said: I went to a women’s college for a lecture on drug abuse. No one raised questions. Later, some girls called up to say they were addicts. I asked them to visit the center for counselling, they declined due to social stigma. They asked me to meet them at a coffee shop instead.”
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