Consumption of heroin, cannabis betrays a dark web of drug abuse that entangles Bandipora

Bandipora, Dec 31: Bandipora, comparatively a small district, like other parts of the valley in Jammu and Kashmir, has too been hit by drug abuse, which has affected even people whose families are rooted in religion.

The disturbing data from the District De-Addiction Centre Bandipora, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and implemented by the J&K Students Welfare Mission for less than a year, available with Greater Kashmir, suggest a considerable number of people aged between 25 and 48 were addicted to drugs.

Established in February 2023, the DDAC has registered 1,157 severe drug abuse-related cases. Among these, 130 are being treated in IPD (indoor patient department) while 1,027 were reported to the OPD (outdoor patient department).

The cases include drugs such as heroin, cannabis, tablets, multiple drugs, tranquilisers, patients with prescription drug abuse, and even alcohol addicts.

The centre has received 229 patients who were taking the dangerous drug heroin, 130 who were addicted to alcohol and 448 who used cannabis since its establishment.

Also, 194 and 156 were involved in multiple drugs and others used tablets like SP (Spasmo-Proxyvon) capsule, respectively.

The centre had received just 37 cases in its inception month, 15 of them heroin users.

In just a short period cases began showing in triple figures between March and October, suggesting that the use of drugs was rampant and that people were coming forward to get back to "normal life."

In November and December, the centre received 93 and 95 cases, respectively. The analysis of the data suggests that the cases have either surged or come forward as more people have sought counselling related to drug abuse.

The centre out of total 6954 cases, counselled 3,075 in just the first six months under programmes ODIC (Outreach and Drop-in Centre) and CPLI (Community-Based Peer-Led Intervention) between February and July.

It assisted almost 4,000 cases for counselling in five months between August and December, with 738 cases in December alone, and 4,198 were those who sought follow-up for this year.

The centre has benefited or helped 4867 beneficiaries through direct involvement and intervention.

The cases coming forward can also be attributed to home counselling and individual counselling provided by the department, as "many are not willing to seek treatment," Rehana Akhter, manager of DDAC, told Greater Kashmir.

"We try to sensitise them about the harmful effects and try to persuade and motivate them to come to seek treatment," Akhter added.

For the worst cases that stay in the IPD, officials said four have fully recovered so far. "We believe in the WPR (Whole Person Recovery) strategy," Akhter said, adding that it takes a lot of time to recover a drug patient as it mostly involves behaviour change therapy.

The centre officials have received some cigarette smokers too who want to quit.

At present, the centre has 127 patients under observation and 1154 are on follow-up or medication.

It is not simple, as the staff witnesses the mental trauma that the drugs have inflicted on the individual and the shattered families they leave behind.

Some stories are heartbreaking. "One middle-aged person has two daughters who are both Quran Hafiza, another patient is out of control, screaming and all," nurses Rukhsana Ali and Sameena Shafi, who serve in the centre's detoxification ward, recalled.

One patient in his late twenties says, "When I didn't get anything for consumption I would try to use used diapers or things from rubbish bins."

Despite its dark underbelly, "maximum addicts are hoping and trying to get rid of this menace," Shabnum Shaban, the centre's counsellor, says.

To help prevent relapsing, besides therapy and counselling, "family and friends have a main role in the process of recovery," another male counsellor, Mudasir Nazir, at the centre said.

The DDAC also maintains a high level of privacy when the patient is registered for drug abuse. The officials follow a protocol wherein no patient is called or reported by name.

Instead, they are given registration numbers and patient IDs, and then only further process followed. In the recovery phases, patients are given code words for the drug abuse types, Dr Umair at the centre said.

Even though no women have sought treatment in the district's DDAC, officials believe there are cases but they aren't coming forward yet.