Covid- 19 has had a drastic impact on different aspects of life. Unfortunately there has been an increase in drug abuse also. As per survey conducted by UNO more than 275 millions of people across the globe are addicted to different kinds of drugs. The most vulnerable are those in the age group of 16-35. In India drug abuse has also emerged in alarming dimensions, and Jammu and Kashmir is no exception.
Drug abuse has a multifarious impact on the health and existence of humanity. The International Narcotic Control Board report paints a worrying trend also, saying that drug addiction has increased both quantitatively and qualitatively. More and more people belonging to the middle and upper classes are resorting to it. Drug addiction affects family life and social fabric very dangerously. Its steely talons are indiscriminate and spare none—children, parents, the poor, and the rich. Research conducted globally has found that some of the reported overdoses were the result of people trying to self-treat their addiction drugs including opioids.
The erstwhile government in J&K implemented a Drug de-addiction policy. It was said to be broader, encompassing means to effectively challenge various inter-linked aspects. The government carried many awareness programmes but the zeal with which it was started has faded. At almost all levels, the policy failed to meet the ends for which it was formulated and serious efforts, both at official and the societal levels are all but lacking.
There is a need to understand the problem in-depth and proper data to know the enormity becomes very essential.
Youngsters linked to the drug trade are more victims than offenders, a Supreme Court judge famously said and also lay bare not just the callousness towards children that is, regrettably a feature of the society, but also an awareness of the deep corruption that undermines the purpose of any institution for the vulnerable.
Lieutenant Governor of J&K said that the Government was fully committed to strengthening action-framework and taking a firm stance against drug abuse, besides providing “practical solutions like evidence-based prevention, treatment, and care to emerge as a winner in achieving the goal of a drug-free-society.”
A collaborative effort on the part of every stakeholder is imperative to check the menace and every individual, and various social organizations need to join hands together, raise awareness regarding the threat possessed by illicit drugs to one and all.
