Drug Abuse Goes Unabated

Kashmir has witnessed a high spike in drug addiction cases in the past 3 years which has led to abnormal increase in abuse related issues at a very alarming rate. If this catastrophe is not abated on time, it may prove very fatal for coming generations. According to the reports given by AIIMS Delhi, in the last three years Kashmir valley has witnessed 1500% increase in drug abuse, which is a very dangerous indication of what our baleful future. Drug addiction is a neurobiological disease in which a person can be found in unconcesiousness or a state which puts a person in some Euphoria or provides relief from negative emotions. Euphoria is the pleasure in which a person passes after consuming drugs, due to which he is attributed to drug addiction. According to a report, 90 percent of the patients enrolling in drug de-addiction centres are using heroin through needle injection mode. Apart from Heroin various kinds of drugs like Charas (Cannabis), Cocaine, Brown Sugar and even boot polish like poisons drugs are consumed in higher quantities. The use of such compounds destroys oneself besides causing physical, psychological and emotional disorders. According to a study 90 percent of the drug users are in the age group of 17-33 years posing a serious threat to societal resource. Mostly teenagers, college going students indulge in this menace. From recent years minors have also been found consuming drugs, which is the great concern to the people of Kashmir. Drug addiction has grown to monstrous proportions and is deepening its roots in Kashmir. A survey conducted by the United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP) tells us that approximately 70,000 people in Kashmir who are drug addicts, among whom 4,000 are females. Doctors also say that not only boys but also many girls come to them who are addicted to various poisons drugs ranging from alcohol to brown sugar and boot polish to heroin. This tells us about the collapse of our cultural, moral and religious heritage. Kashmir besides reacting arms genocide, losing countless youngsters to conflict can be seen losing another generation to drug addiction. What I want to tell is that drug-related illnesses are increasingly a cause for concern. Due to unfavorable conditions in Kashmir valley, people generally do not feel comfortable in terms of peace of mind and contentment and it has been observed that such situations lead to attraction towards substance use. News about the drug over dose and mysterious deaths have become a norm and seem very normal now.
The main causes of drug addiction in Kashmir are listed as peer pressure, depression, unhealthy relationships and domestic violence. Curiosity, need for adventure and excitement, and experimentation, constitute common causes, which motivate youngsters towards drug and alcohol use. A child’s natural curiosity motivates him/ her to experiment. This is complicated further by effects that might be perceived as benefits, of drug use. Thus, the first use of drugs may be out of curiosity or experimentation, but later the child starts using these to escape from their problems. Other factors that have been seen to be associated with drug abuse among adolescents are unstable, unsupportive and defunct family structures.
Another drawback is the dependence, which is the tendency of the body to manifest a characteristic and unpleasant withdrawal syndrome, if regular use of drugs is abruptly discontinued. This is characterised by anxiety, which triggers a person to take more drugs. The immediate adverse effects of drugs are manifested in the form of reckless behavior, vandalism and violence. The most common warning signs of drug and alcohol abuse among youth include drop in academic performance, lack of interest in personal hygiene, aggressive and rebellious behavior, deteriorating relationships with family and friends, loss of interest in hobbies. There may even be some far-reaching implications of drug abuse. If an abuser is unable to get money to buy drugs, he/she may, out of inner compulsion, turn to stealing and violence. The age-old adage of ‘prevention is better than cure’ holds so true here. Some of the measures for prevention and control of drug abuse among adolescents include avoiding undue peer pressure, education and counseling, seeking help from parents and peers, looking for danger signs, seeking professional and medical help. Furthermore, seeking the true knowledge of our religion Islam would help a person get away from drug menace and live a peaceful life.
(Author is a student of Mass Communication and Multimedia Productions at Media Studies GDC Anantnag. Views are his own)

[email protected]