Kashmir’s Drug Crisis: Unemployment and Trauma Fueling Addiction Among Youth
Image Source: Kashmir POST
Addiction is a disease that affects our brain and behaviour. When someone gets addicted to drugs, they can resist the urge to use them. They have no concern for how much it affects their health. Drug addiction is not only concerned with heroin and cocaine, but it is also concerned with alcohol, overuse of medicines, etc. The drug effect was not severe on our state before some years. There are different causes for it. But now the manufacturing, as well as the usage rate, has been increasing tremendously.
Drug addiction usage is increasing day-to-day in the valley of Kashmir. The people who are affected by this abuse are the youths of Kashmir. People of all ages have its effects, but this has attracted particularly the youth population of Kashmir from the age group of 18 to 35.
In a study done at the Government Psychiatric Diseases Hospital (GPDH) in 2002, doctors compared drug trends from 1980-88 and 2002 in patients—before the armed conflict erupted and after. An alarming increase of over sixty percent was reported in the use of opioid-based preparations (9.5 percent to 73.61 percent) and an over twenty-five percent increase in multiple substance abuse (15.8 percent to 41.6 percent) from the 1980s to 2002.
Unemployment: This is the major cause that has increased the usage of drugs in Kashmir. According to a recent report filed by the J&K government, there are about 80,000 unemployed youths in Kashmir. This report was given by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu to the General Assembly.
Anxiety and depression: Due to the conflict in the valley, a large number of youths, especially students, become easily vulnerable to drugs. According to a study conducted by the United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP) in 2008, there are 70,000 drug addicts in the Kashmir division alone, including 4,000 women. A well-known psychiatrist, Dr. Mushtaq Margoob’s book, “Menace of Drug Abuse in Kashmir,” published in 2008, states that the valley has 2.11 lakh drug abusers. These figures have increased manifold in the last seven years. It is worth mentioning here that substance abuse is not an acceptable behaviour in our society, and thus the figures might only reflect a tip of the iceberg; there may be a huge hidden population of drug addicts in our state.
In another study conducted by GPDH, with help from the Ministry of Science and Technology in the International Journal of Medical Sciences & Pharmaceutical Research, Volume 1, out of the 561 substance-use disorder patients, it was discovered that 63.85 percent of patients had either experienced or witnessed multiple traumatic events, qualifying for the diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), compared to 36.14 percent of patients who had exposure to one traumatic event. This startling connection establishes the link between violence, PTSD, and recourse to addiction, where PTSD is a primary disorder and subsequent substance abuse is used to self-medicate symptoms of the disorder. A recent research study conducted by the Government Psychiatric Disease Hospital (GPDH) reveals that 60,000 youths, including 4,000 girls under the age group of 18-35, are drug addicts. The drugs that the youth consume are opium, heroin, brown sugar, and alcohol. Nearly 40,000 bottles of alcohol are consumed every day, the study states.
Another study reveals that 65 to 70 percent of students in Kashmir are drug addicts, which include gateway drugs too, and around 26 percent are female students. The actual status of drug abuse in Jammu & Kashmir is not clear, as no comprehensive survey in J&K has been carried out. However, there are some studies which show a very grim picture of substance abuse in Jammu & Kashmir state.
The studies conducted by various government and private agencies have painted a grim picture of substance users in the Kashmir valley. Experts believe that drug addiction is becoming very common in Kashmir because of its easy availability in the markets. It is reported that tobacco, cannabis (charas), alcohol, benzodiazepines (sleeping pills, like Alprax, Valium), opiates (like codeine, heroin, morphine), brown sugar, and inhalants (like Fevicol SR, glue, paint thinner, petrol, shoe polish, etc.) are the major drugs of abuse in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Now the responsibility is on the shoulders of every citizen to be vigilant about their children. At home, they should educate them about the evil causes of these drugs. At school, the responsibility is of teachers, known as builders of a nation, to educate the children about the ill consequences of drugs. In a school book, a chapter should be included about drugs and their effects on our health and wealth.
But above all, it is the responsibility of our police department to curb these evils from society, as the common man’s efforts may not have a severe effect on the users and manufacturers. Police, known as guardians of society, have to play a role like a guardian plays with his family. People involved in the manufacturing of these drugs should be punished according to the laws. But instead of controlling drug trafficking, it seems the police are flourishing these drugs. There are a number of drug dealers in and outside the national highway. Their shops should be sealed to win the hearts of people like heroes.
A journalist is not free; they too have a duty in controlling drug trafficking and also publishing abuses of drugs in their newspapers. Special columns should cover the ill consequences of drugs.
If the manufacturing and the use of drugs are not controlled, then we are not far away from a disaster. Our young generation will be ruined. The future of the state will be dark. So let the people join hands with the administration to eradicate this disease from our state. Kashmir, commonly known as Pirwar, should be preserved as Pirwar. It should not become the hub of drugs.
Team Profile
- Freelance Journalist
- Muzafar Hamid, a resident of Srinagar, Kashmir, India, holds a master's degree in journalism and is currently undertaking a PhD program at the University of Kashmir. His academic pursuits and professional interests revolve around politics, sports, education, food, tourism, entertainment, and international events. Alongside his studies, Muzafar enjoys cricket and singing, finding fulfillment in a diverse range of activities.
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