Muneer Ahmad Magry
Drug abuse is a global health and social problem with conditions and problems that vary locally, and a prominent issue of mortality across the globe, thus consuming lives of millions of people. The use of psychoactive substances among adolescents and young adults has become a subject of public concern worldwide partly because of its potential to contribute to unintentional and intentional injury. Drug abuse and addiction has a universal phenomenon that extends across socioeconomic, cultural, religious and ethnic boundaries. It is estimated that globally around 27 million people are problem drug users. In 2014, 207,000 drug related deaths were reported; an unacceptably high number of deaths. Cannabis remains the most commonly used drug at the global level, with an estimated 183 million people having used it in 2014.
In recent years, the epidemic of Drug abuse in young generation has assumed alarming dimensions in India. Changing cultural values, increasing economic stress and dwindling supportive bonds are leading to initiation into substance use. Cannabis, heroin, and Indian-produced pharmaceutical drugs are the most frequently abused drugs in India. Drug use, misuse or abuse is also primarily due to the nature of the drug abused, the personality of the individual and the addict’s immediate environment. The processes of industrialization, urbanization and migration have led to loosening of the traditional methods of social control rendering an individual vulnerable to the stresses and strains of modern life. According to the National level survey conducted on drug use in India indicated that prevalence of drug abuse among males in the general population is significant. Drug abuse among women exists. Despite the fact that more men use drugs than women, the impact of drug use tends to be greater on women, because women lack access to care for drug dependence. Economic burden disturbed family environment, violence, and psychological problems are other consequences of drug abuse in the family. Adolescent drug abuse is another major area of concern because more than half of the person’s with substance use disorder are introduced to drugs before the age of 15 years.
In India the scenario is very gruesome, the population infected by drugs is more than 10.7 million people, the state wise data depicts that Mizoram followed by Punjab and Manipur are most prone to this grave concern, the proximity around this menace could be the sharing of international borders with international drug-trafficking zones.
In Kashmir valley this worrisome issue has gained attention of the society as a large population of youth in Kashmir valley is lured by drugs. Most adult drug, smokers start drug, smoking regularly some time before 18 years of age. As per the data available it is estimated that there are 70000 drug addicts in Kashmir division alone including 4000 women. While gazing into the age classes the statistics shows that 90% abusers belong to the age group of 17 to 35 years with a lifetime prevalence of drug addiction. It is also noted that easy availability and lack of accountability from parent gateway drugs like cigarette, Paan, Gutkaetc are commonly used by young male aging 12 to 15 years. As reported the most commonly and prominent drugs used in Jammu and Kashmir ranges from tobacco, cannabis (charas), alcohol, benzodiazepines (sleeping pills, like alprax, valium), opiates (like codeine, heroin, morphine), brown sugar, Inhalants (like Fevicol SR , glue, paint thinner, petrol, shoe polish etc).
Now, few months back the reports emerged that “Kashmir valley topped in the trade of substandard drugs, 81% of the total drug samples found substandard.” This is an affair underpinning a situation driving towards mass devastation, Kashmir valley is hitherto going through a very tough phase,, this new-fangledmaladies of drug addiction has led our society towards a new disquiet. The magnitude of multifold concerns in valley is inclining daily and we all are unable to find a constructive approach towards obliterating sucha grave concerns. The need of hour is to have a diverse and elaborative consultation mutually by civil society, parents, religious establishments, administration to chalk out the way for saving our people. However there are some initiatives hitherto in place to curb the menace of drug abuse, such as: J&K Police has seized 2574 kg of Cannabis and its derivatives 11,000 bottles and 17,000 tablets of psychotropic prescription drugs were seized in 2013 and in 2014, a total of 282 persons were arrested by J&K police under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act, 1985. Also Jammu & Kashmir Police and Army have taken stabled drug de-addiction centers on scientific lines, but this can’t serve the purpose alone, there is an need to have a coherent, pragmatic approach in place to deal with this menace, the other important parameter can be awareness programmes, nukkadnataks in schools, colleges etc. to educate people particularly youth and students regarding the negative impacts of drug addiction also normative education and competence enhancementcan be offered to aware the people. The role of NGOs can play a prime part, there are some NGOs who are working against this menace, few of them have organized some marathons in order to aware people about the grave effects of drug addiction, which is an appreciable and applauding effort. The Government is also playing its part, for e.g. some initiatives’ have been started by SAC, the newly established Medical Colleges have been directed to establish Drug De-addiction facilities to provide quality healthcare and on-spot counseling to the patients by January 2020.Also it can be noted that the State Administrative Council (SAC) had accorded sanction to the first-ever drug de-addiction policy in Jammu and Kashmir on January 5, 2019.
The policy lays out a comprehensive action plan for addressing the drug addiction issue in its entirety. This drug policy will focus on increasing the knowledge of the community about the consequences of substance use, potential risk factors and measures that can be adopted to avoid those factors. Thus it also concludes, that the administration has an important role to play, apart from decreasing the vulnerability of the population at risk of drug abuse and management and treatment of patients, the need of an hour is that while dealing with the dealers and users, some stringent punishment can be employed to restrain this concern.
(The author is Research Scholar at Deakin University Australia)
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