Drug addiction, A disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medication. Substances like alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. When you’re addicted, you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes. The griming picture of drug abuse in the Kashmir valley has taken a shape of wildfire and has put a lot of challenges for the people of the valley in general and for Government agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations in particular. Jammu and Kashmir has become a hub of drugs, recently we came across a news that spread just like a forest fire on social media and other platforms that some of the youngsters were found accompanying drugs and other addiction materials at Nishat area of Srinagar and that is quite disheartening and a matter of concern and it is not only limited to this as we know almost maximum no. of youngster are engulfed or are addicted to the drugs across the valley , A recent study has revealed that Jammu and Kashmir has six lakh people affected by drug-related issues which is approximately 4.6 per cent population of the Union territory of which 90 per cent users are from 17-33 age group. The main drug consumed in the valley is opioid and in an Another report that was published by the United Nation Drug Control Program (UNDCP), few years ago that revealed around 70000 people, including 4000 women, in Kashmir were addicted to drugs. In recent years, the number of drug abusers has increased by many folds in J&K. There is a change in the pattern of drugs used as well. Illicit drugs like heroin, cocaine, and brown sugar are available in the drug market. 90 percent of the patients enrolling in drug de-addiction centres are using heroin. The rising of drug addiction needs to be given utmost priority to stop this wildfire by doing our each and every effort these youngsters needs to be counseled properly they need to be approached for counseling we need to start a campaign of awareness’s otherwise this is such a massive disease that can further spread like a wildfire and may engulf many other, besides the parents also needs to take attention towards the same that is addiction of their children to drugs they need to be guided properly besides the parents need to look after their children’s for such illegal anti moral activities , actually the real cause of this evil is that we have been now more concerned to the materialistic things , worldly pleasures we have totally ignored children’s and are busy in earning more and more and we have left careless towards our children and have left them unattended, unguided. It is a high time to have check over these illegal activities so that further we don’t have more youngsters to get addicted. The Lack of awareness about both Drug Addiction and the process of detoxification and rehabilitation was a challenge. Now there is not too much lack of awareness as we have now more detoxification centres as well as rehabilitation centres in J&K but presently the grinning situation of the valley signals for more awareness towards the drug addiction.
Government Agencies, Educational institutes NGO’s and other social work institutes need to educate people especially young generation about this problem. The awareness on the part of Parents and caretakers is also an issue to tackle so that they can detect this problem as early as possible and they can provide immediate help to the person. Drug Addicts often feel isolated and sense of alienation, so providing them certain kind of social and moral support help them and make them more empowered to get over this, Enough literature has suggested it that providing a kind of moral support enhances the mind of the drug addict to come out of this menace. We need to go back to our traditional institutions a the mosques, madrassas and families all have to come together and seek the support to the victims to overcome. We need to set up committees Area wise, so that the drug addicts can be identified and may be advised and stopped from the addiction of drugs , this will ensure a check on the use of drugs on the very basic level, besides NGO Also need to gear up their efforts like awareness on drug addiction by organising programs on village level panchayat level etc while as the parents have also an important role to guide their children on the very ist stage of their life and educate them about the very social evils and all going on in our society, Parents can help protect children’s against drug use by giving them the facts before they’re in a risky situation. This can make them less likely to experiment with drugs or to rely on friends for answers .You’re a role models for your children’s , and your views on alcohol, tobacco, and drugs can strongly affect how they think about them. So make talking about drugs a part of your general health and safety conversations. This problem is invisible, let us shed light on it and tackle it effectively,” “This menace is eating us, and more importantly, the youth of our J&K. We can’t conclusively point out exact reasons behind the problem, nor should we blame anyone in particular, but what we need is a unified front. Religious and educational institutions should reach out to the youth as they can make it more convenient by imparting the awareness on the very gross root level in gatherings and in educational institutions. So everyone must play their part”.
(The author is a freelancer. Views are his own)
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