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Express News Service
SRINAGAR: There are estimated 13.50 lakh drug users in Jammu and Kashmir, ie., 10.8 per cent population of the Union Territory, and most of them are in the age group of 18 to 75 years, according to a report by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment.
In its report presented to both Houses of Parliament, the Standing Committee comprising 27 Members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has mentioned the estimated number of current drug use among children aged 10-17 years and adults 18-75 years based on the projected population in 2018.
The Standing Committee in its report estimated that 1,68,700 children in the age group of 10-17 years take drugs in the UT.
Of them, 8000 use cannabis, 95000 opioids, 19000 sedatives, 100 cocaine, 400 ATS, 46000 inhalants and 200 hallucinogens.
The report revealed that 11,80,000 adults in the age group of 18-75 are drug users in Jammu and Kashmir.
Of them, the majority 4.47 lakh are opioid addicts, 3.54 lakh are alcoholics, 1.51 lakh use sedatives, 1.36 lakh use cannabis, 89000 use inhalants while 1000 each are addicts of cocaine, stimulant and hallucinogens.
According to the report, a total of 13,48,700 persons are drug users in J&K and the number might be higher as these estimates are based on the projected population in 2018.
As per the 2011 census, J&K’s population is 1.25 crore, meaning 10.8 per cent of the population consists of drug addicts, which is a worrisome situation for the society as a whole.
The Committee has emphasized that suitable checks should be established at the airports and borders with the latest technology, drones and CCTVs so that the supply of drugs from Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan etc is completely stopped.
National Conference spokesman Imran Nabi Dar said the figures are alarming, indicating that 10 per cent of J&K’s population is now engaged in active substance abuse.
“It serves as a strong reminder to the government, concerned agencies, and society at large that they must confront this issue head-on,” he said.
In the wake of the surge in drug abuse in the Valley, religious leaders, politicians and civil society have asked the government to take concrete measures to prevent youth from falling into drug abuse.
The administration has directed all 10 Deputy Commissions (DCs) of Kashmir to do colour coding of the villages in their districts according to the number of individuals involved in substance use.
The villages would be labelled as green, yellow and red depending upon the severity of drug abuse in the hamlets.
The DCs have been asked to divert abandoned government buildings or unutilized buildings to the nearby departments so that these structures shall not become hubs of drug addicts.
According to a study by the Psychiatry Department of Government Medical College Srinagar, about 33000 syringes are used to inject heroin by drug abusers in Kashmir every day and on an average a single drug abuser spends Rs 88,183 every month on substance abuse.
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