Srinagar

As Jammu and Kashmir appears to have surpassed Punjab in the number of drug abusers, the Police have started roping in religious leaders and influential citizens to address this menace. As per the latest figures of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, J&K has about one million persons grappling with substance abuse and 50% of these are specifically addicted to opioids.

A recent study done by the Srinagar-based Government Medical College’s Psychiatry department has revealed that Kashmir has surpassed Punjab in drug abuse cases and is currently at the number two position among the top drug-abuser states in the country. With Northeast in India topping the drug abuse list, Kashmir is not far behind.

The J&K Police has opened centers for helping drug addicts, the police in Baramulla, north Kashmir, recently organized a one-day Anti-Drugs Conference in which Imams and Moulvis and respectable members from the civil society participated.

Experts from different fields such as doctors, advocates, social activists, police and administrative officers, and scholars participated in the closed-door interaction. They shared their insights on the topic of religious condemnations of drugs.

DIG North Kashmir Vivek Gupta said the pivotal role of civil societies and religious institutions in combating the scourge of drug addiction within the society. Emphasizing the influence of religious leaders, he said, that they are not only respectable figures but also “our moral compass, guiding us with unwavering devotion along the righteous path of our faith.”

SSP Baramulla, Amod Ashok Nagpure stressed the crucial role of religious leaders and civil society in eradicating the use of drugs.

Baramulla Police have already taken significant steps in the war against drugs, with more than 200 cases registered under the NDPS Act, over 300 drug peddlers arrested, and 54 hardcore drug peddlers booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances Act, and the Public Safety Act.

The study by Medical colleges stares that over 33,000 syringes are used to inject heroin by drug abusers in the Valley daily. Heroin is among the most common drugs used by these abusers. The study shows that 90 percent of drug abusers are using heroin while the rest are using cocaine, brown sugar, and marijuana.

ALSO READ: Kashmir's dark secret: How drugs are destroying a place once known as heaven on earth

''The survey was conducted by the Department of Mental Health and Neurosciences in collaboration with the Health Services Department.  The survey was conducted in all ten districts of Kashmir. One of the researcher said "For the first time we are seeing Injection Heroin as the main substance user, previously we used to see painkiller and cannabis users, and in this study, we found 67,000 substance users overall. They are mainly using Heroin.''