Though Government’s decision to ask schools to identify drug addicts for counselling at drug de-addiction centres shows the seriousness of the people at the helm over the rising drug addiction in Jammu & Kashmir, but the cooperation of parents and private schools would be much bigger challenges in the implementation of this bigger initiative against drug addiction. Till now the Police was the only institution involved in war against drug addiction but now the involvement of schools in continuing drive against drug addiction could most probably reduce the spread in the rise of drug addicts across Jammu & Kashmir. Keeping in view the fact that youth easily fall into the trap of drug addiction it would be better for the Government to ask also degree colleges and universities to identify drug addicts’ month after month to help police in reaching out to them for proper counselling at drug de-addiction centres. For all practical purposes the role of parents would by all standards of understandabilities a major factor in the proposed initiative of the identification of drug addicts at Schools. So before launching the initiative of identifying drug addicts at schools more better it would be for the Government to take on board the parents and hold intensive consultations with them for the counselling of children after their identification as drug addicts. Since the majority of children are enrolled in private schools it would be better for the Government to also hold consultations with private schools over the launch of identification of drug addicts at schools before launching the proposed initiative against the drug addiction across Jammu & Kashmir.
“Initiative of identifying drug addicts is apparently good for curbing rising drug addiction in Jammu & Kashmir but cooperation of the parents and private schools apparently would be bigger challenges in the implementation of this bigger initiative against drug addiction”.
What merits a mention here is the fact that while drug de-addiction centres are till now deployed only at district headquarters but after the launch of the identification drive by schools probably after their reopening in March this year wisdom demands that Government directs all police stations of Kashmir Valley and Jammu division to set up atleast one drug de-addiction centre in the areas of their administrative jurisdictions. Setting up more drug de-addiction centres for counselling of drug addicts after thir identification by schools would hopefully reduce the intensity of unprecedented rise in drug addiction across Jammu & Kashmir. Initiative of identifying drug addicts is apparently good for curbing rising drug addiction in Jammu & Kashmir but cooperation of the parents and private schools apparently would be bigger challenges in the implementation of this bigger initiative against drug addiction.
