The Menace of Drug Addition in Kashmir

Iftikar says that it takes the whole community to eradicate the menace of drug addiction

(Mr. Iftikar Rashid Wani, 30, was born in Bandipora. An avid chess player, he completed his M.sc. in Environmental Studies from the Guru Ghasidas University in Chattisgarh, and his M.Ed. from the University of Kashmir. He also completed a one year Diploma from the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL). Mr. Wani is a teacher in the J&K Department of Education based in Bandipora Ward No. 4. He participated in 4th National Science Teachers Conference organized by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, at Dehradun in 2007. In 2008, he participated in the 4th J&K Science Conference held at the University of Kashmir in 2008. In his leisure time, he enjoys reading, writing, and of course, playing chess.)


Sweet Suicide

The situation in J&K has victimized the younger generation to such an extent that a considerable portion seeks refuge in sedatives turning drug addicts. In psychological terminology drug addiction is a habit which directly affects the brain and nervous system, rendering a person unfit for the society. In our Valley it is mostly due to the stress and lawlessness that youth take to drugs. This should be an eye-opener to everyone that Kashmir division alone has 70,000 drug addicts, including 4000 women according to a United Nation International Drug Control Program (UNDCP) sponsored survey. It is unfortunate that educational institutions have become the hub of such activities. Drug peddlers run their operations in educational institutions by poisoning the thoughts of student community.

Drug abuse is the use of illicit drug or misuse of legitimate drug resulting in physical or psychological harm. It includes smoking ganja, taking heroin or cocaine or LSD, injecting morphine, drinking alcohol and so on. The abuse becomes addiction, and sooner or later the person totally become dependent on such things to sustain his or her life. It is a fact that such drugs relieve a person of his tensions, depressions and other such problems for some time but in the long run it acts as a sweat poison which slowly destroys a person, both socially and emotionally. Students use the drugs to improve the studying abilities, enhancing memory power, sharpening religious insight, deepening self understanding and solving personal problems, without caring for the consequences and thus becoming the hardcore drug addicts. As per the recent survey 65-70% student community in Kashmir are drug addicts which include 26% female students. Indeed the local media have highlighted many times the incidents where the females were involved in dangerous practices of addiction.

Currently nail polish, ink remover, shoe polish and dozens of such are used as the alternative addiction by such student community. According to a well known psychiatrist of Valley, around 35% of boys of very prestigious schools from 8th standard to 12th standard use these substances daily. In majority of the cases, accounting 45.5%, such students take it because of psychological reasons, 15.2% because of physiological reasons, 10.9% because of social reasons and 28.4 because of other reasons.

Besides educational institutions some billiards, snooker points and other youth hang outs are now the common places for drug addiction. Such a trend if not addressed well in time is dangerous for our society .This problem may become beyond proportions to control. Isn’t it an irony that the drug de-addiction centers started a year ago with great pomp and show have turned defunct for want of follow up actions and proper infrastructure? Government of Jammu and Kashmir needs to formulate drug de-addiction policy to curb the growing menace of drug addiction.

Remember where there is unemployment, depression, anxiety, household disputes, and bad company there will be drug addiction. The excessive outdoor indulgence of house wives and general tendency on part of educated women to get a job has hampered the harmony of family structure of Kashmir. The modern woman is no longer confined to her domestic duties, with the result the internal discipline of the family has disrupted. Due to this a child is overpowered by the evils of frustration, hatred, jealousy and dejection. Thus the lack of care and affection on part of parents results into detachment from family and ultimately lead children to the world of drugs.

The government of Jammu and Kashmir may be trying its best to curb the problem by various means and methods but still a lot of work is to be done. At the same time people and government agencies should accelerate their efforts by targeting the students at their bases. For this educational institutions form the biggest organized sector that can play a significant role to impart such type of education and training to the student community which can help to curb this menace from the society. The college and university authorities should wake from deep slumber and prepare a proper mechanism to check this menace which emanates from hostels and other boarding places. A change in the attitude of doctors and pharmacists selling and prescribing drugs can go a long way in controlling the abuses of drugs. Doctors must check the efficacy of the drugs they prescribe regularly while pharmacists should refuse the drugs without proper prescription.

Unless we get our act together we will not be able to eradicate the drug abuse from our society.