Concerning: More than 14 lakh drug users in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir has a staggering 14.09 lakh drug addicts who use everything from beer to cocaine to hallucinogens. This information comes from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment informed the Lok Sabha in writing response to a question posed by National Conference MP Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi regarding the number of drug addicts in Jammu and Kashmir. According to a national survey on the extent and pattern of substance use in India conducted in 2018 by the Ministry through the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS, there are estimated to be over 14.09 lakh people (in the age group of 10-75) using various psychoactive substances in J&K.

The minister disclosed the breakdown of drug users, revealing that around 4,20,000 individuals use alcohol, 1,40,000 use cannabis, 5,40,000 use opioids, 1,70,000 use sedatives, 1,35,000 use inhalants, 2,000 use stimulants similar to amphetamines, and 1,000 use cocaine and hallucinogens.

The last few years have seen a rise in drug abuse in Jammu and Kashmir. Political parties, religious organizations, and civil society organizations have all voiced concern about the rising drug abuse in the area and urged the authorities to take firm action to stop people from becoming victims of drug abuse. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said that it is in favor of the establishment of Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) at public hospitals, and this initiative is being carried out via

“According to data from AIIMS, New Delhi’s National Drug Dependence Treatment Center, 19 ATFs have been approved for Jammu and Kashmir,” the response said. It said that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is establishing District De-addiction Centers in the nation’s gap districts—including Jammu and Kashmir—where the Ministry does not support an Integrated Rehabilitation Center for Addicts (IRCA), an Outreach and Drop-in Center (ODIC), or a Community-based Peer-led Intervention (CPLI).

The Ministry has currently authorized five DDACs in J&K. Additionally, it has authorized the establishment of three treatment facilities in the Reasi, Udhampur, and Ramban gap districts. Additionally, it said that the Ministry is helping two CPLIs, three ODICs, and one IRCA in Jammu & Kashmir. Research conducted by the Psychiatry Department of Government Medical College Srinagar found that drug abusers in Kashmir use around 33,000 syringes per day to inject heroin and that each drug abuser spends an average of Rs 88,183 per month on drugs.

Following the spike in drug misuse, lawmakers, religious leaders, and members of civil society have urged the government to implement effective steps to keep young people away from drug addiction. The government has instructed the ten Deputy Commissions (DCs) in Kashmir to color-code their districts’ villages based on the proportion of residents who use drugs. The villages would get a green, yellow, or red designation based on how serious drug misuse is in the individual hamlets.