NC forms committee over drug abuse

Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) has constituted a committee to address the pressing issue of drug abuse prevalent among the youth of Jammu & Kashmir.
According to a statement issued from the party headquarters here on Friday the committee will be headed by senior party leader and former finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather. Its members include Mubarak Gul, Justice (Retd.) Hasnain Masoodi, Javed Dar, Dr. Bashir Veeri, Syed Tauqeer Ahmed Shah, Imran Nabi Dar, Dr. Muhammad Shafi, Shafqat Watali, Harsh Vardhan Singh and Tejinder Singh.
The committee is mandated to engage in discussions and deliberations to devise effective recommendations for the party’s sustained campaign against the rampant drug abuse / addiction problem across Jammu & Kashmir.
On June 12, party President and Member of the Parliament from Srinagar Dr. Farooq Abdullah had said that smart phone misuse and drug addiction and substance abuse is emerging as a big threat to youth.
Expressing concern over the huge rise in drug addiction cases among the youth, Dr. Farooq said, “Drug abuse in J&K is becoming a rampant phenomenon. It should be a point of concern for all of us. The first step towards stopping such incidents starts with contemplation by all of us. It goes without saying that the menace is an awful manifestation of widespread unemployment prevailing across J&K. It is time for the government to change the discourse about the drug addiction issue and start to view it as a disease rather than a law-and-order issue.”
For years now, he said, Kashmir is witnessing a new epidemic—drug addiction.
“This has spurred deep concern in Kashmiri society. The figures emanating from various government agencies also call the efforts of the government in curbing the rise of drug abuse to question. The survey carried by various agencies reveal the severity of the problem. Merely working on reining in the narcotics mafia won’t help win the war against the problem, unless the government makes a massive outreach to our youth, this war on drug abuse cannot be won,” he said.