The youth of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir is deeply involved in drugs, and the problem is becoming monstrous with each passing month. 25 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) have been dedicated to the nation; out of these, six are in Jammu and Kashmir, a serious matter by any standards. Time and again, we have been highlighting this drug menace prevalent in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, but little effort is being made on the ground to counter the menace. A 24 per cent share in the allocation of new ATFs is a testimony that our fears of “Udta Jammu and Kashmir” are a reality now. Worryingly, only five of the six designated centers have been established in the Jammu division. Psychiatric Hospital Jammu will have a full-fledged centre with de-addiction and rehabilitation centres, an OPD, and therapy, while District Hospitals in Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch and Kishtwar will start with OPDs and subsequently introduce other facilities. SKIMS Kashmir will also have a full centre. GoI has ensured all the help it needs by providing funds for required infrastructure development and four additional faculty members for the said centers. Mass awareness programs at every level are the need of the hour to checkmate drug addiction in the young generation. Once established, these centers will only aid in the treatment of already addicted youth, not in the fight against drugs. Under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction, GoI is trying different ways out by providing finances for awareness, preventive education, vocational training for livelihood support, etc. The onus to fight drug addiction at the ground level lies with state/UT administrations. The time has come to take drug addiction more seriously; it is a curse that torments not only one person but the entire family for a lifetime, never to forget the experience.
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