Use of drugs has become a great threat to the society as every second person is consuming drugs due to one or the other reason, knowing fully its ill effects on the health of an individual, Justice Tashi Rabstan said in his address to an awareness programme in south Kashmir.
The senior Judge of the J&K and Ladakh High Court also fittingly urged all the stakeholders to work collectively to eradicate the menace from the society.
Also aptly, the Chief Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, underlined that the awareness remains the need of hour to educate the youth that have fallen prey to the menace of drug abuse. The Chief Justice impressed upon all to follow the golden rule that prevention is better than cure.
About 10 lakh cases of drug abuse have been identified in Jammu and Kashmir with a substantial number of women addicts, according to the information divulged in Parliament earlier this week.
The concerned ministry also informed that there are 340 Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs) which not only provide for treating the drug victims but also give services of preventive education, awareness generation, motivational counselling, detoxification and de- addiction, after care and re-integration into the social mainstream. Among 340, one IRCA is running in Jammu and Kashmir.
Also there are 48 Community based Peer led Intervention (CPLI) Centres and they focus on vulnerable and at risk children and adolescents. Under this, peer educators engage children for awareness generation and life skill activities. Out of these 48 CPLIs, two are running in J&K.
In addition, there are 71 Outreach and Drop In Centres (ODICS) and provide safe and secure space of treatment and rehabilitation for substance users, with provision of screening, assessment and counseling. Thereafter they provide referral and linkage to treatment and rehabilitation services for substance dependence. Out of these 71 ODICs, three are running in Jammu & Kashmir.
Apart from awareness, the administration needs to focus on the investigation and prosecution for providing quick deterrent punishments to the offenders including drug peddlers. Also rehabilitation of the addicts and the counseling of the youth are important to bring them back into the mainstream.
There is a need for focused attention on how to rescue those who could be and also importantly how to wage a decisive war against the menace, targeting its roots.
