Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo on Wednesday informed the Assembly that over 25,000 drug addicts have received treatment across Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years. She informed the House that 25,402 individuals had undergone treatment at various de-addiction centers, with 9,775 cases in 2022, 8,702 in 2023, and 6,925 in 2024. While outpatient (OPD) drug addiction cases have shown a downward trend, inpatient (IPD) cases have increased, which she attributed to the expansion of inpatient services in de-addiction centers.
The Minister may be seeing some downward trend in the official figures but fact of the matter is that not all the addicts register themselves with de-addiction centres and thus the figures could be much bigger than officially portrayed. This fact is authenticated by every day reportage of arrest of drug peddlers, seizure of drugs and related figures.
In these columns, we have repeatedly been raising alarm about the widespread drug abuse and trafficking taking place in Jammu and Kashmir. The addicts are the victims and they need to be treated as such. They need help both from their families, society and the administration. Government claims that 20 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) -11 in Kashmir and 9 in Jammu. OPD services are operational in all 20 districts, while inpatient treatment is available in all nine Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), catering to both male and female patients. Psychiatrists are posted in every GMC across the Union Territory. This is very important that the addicts are getting help from the government but the families and society too have to play the role.
They are victims and every step should be taken to help and rehabilitate them by treating them as patients not criminals. Criminals are the ones who run drug cartels here. It is a big nefarious trade going on involving billions of dollars. Though, of late, Jammu and Kashmir Police have launched a serious drive against drug traffickers, have made several arrests and in some cases, seized the properties of those involved in this dirty trade, to scuttle and finish it fully needs a full-fledged war involving all the stake holders – local populace, civil society groups, genuine NGOs and religious leaders. While too much talk is going about banning alcohol in Jammu and Kashmir and every Tom, Dick and Harry is out on streets with placards demanding the ban, no such enthusiasm is seen among the populace when it comes to drug trafficking and abuse.
People have to wake up, society has to wake up and JK Police have to double its efforts. This trade can’t go on unless there are some black sheep within the system who are hand-in-glove with these merchants of death. Here Police have to be more vigilant and while curbing the menace, have to ensure that black sheep, if any, are identified and dealt with.