Drug addiction tears families apart

Srinagar, Aug 04: In the Karan Nagar area of Srinagar, a chilling incident has cast a spotlight on a growing drug menace.

Last week, vigilant residents, their suspicions heightened by recent thefts, caught a young man in the act of pilfering goods.

But what unfolded next was far from a simple case of petty crime.

In a video that has since gone viral on social media, the apprehended thief, his face a map of desperation, confessed to a motive far more complex than mere greed.

"The drugs," he stammered, eyes darting nervously. "They've become so expensive. I had no choice."

His words, a stark confession of addiction's iron grip, have sent shockwaves through the community and beyond.

This incident, however, is merely the tip of a treacherous iceberg.

At the SMHS hospital's drug de-addiction centre, a different kind of drama unfolds daily.

Zamrooda (name changed) sits in the waiting room, her face hidden behind a veil of shame and fear.  She's here for her son, a reality she's only recently come to terms with.

"It's a stigma," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the hum of anxious conversations around her. "But I'm fighting it. I have to pull my son out of this quagmire."

Her son, seated beside her, shares a tale all too familiar in these halls.

"It started with friends," he admits, his youth painfully evident in his trembling voice. "Just for fun, you know? But then... it became everything."

This scene repeats itself across de-addiction centres - parents, their faces etched with worry, bringing their children in hopes of reclaiming the futures being eroded by addiction.

The numbers paint a grim picture. In 2023-24 alone, an astounding 140,303 individuals sought help from drug addiction centres across Jammu and Kashmir. The majority? Youth, the very future of J&K.

The Health Department's OPDs have been inundated, with 137,329 patients seeking assistance.

Police-run centres have seen 1441 individuals, while social welfare-sponsored facilities have helped another 1000.

Even private de-addiction centres have been approached by 533 people desperate for help.

According to data from the national survey on the extent and pattern of substance use in India conducted by the Ministry in 2018.

The findings revealed a staggering estimate of over 14.09 lakh people, aged between 10 and 75, using various psychoactive substances in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the data, the substance abusers in Jammu and Kashmir encompass a wide spectrum, ranging from cannabis to sedatives to inhalants.

The breakdown includes approximately 5.4 lakh individuals abusing opioids, 4.20 lakh using alcohol, 1.4 lakh consuming cannabis, 1.35 lakh inhaling substances.

A senior doctor at GMC Srinagar shared alarming insights regarding the current drug abuse situation.

According to him, a significant portion of drug users are now turning to a more dangerous substance: adulterated heroin.

This synthetic version of heroin, as explained by doctors, is a concoction of opium and pharmaceutical opioids, particularly Tramadol.

The professor emphasised that this mixture is even more hazardous than pure heroin, highlighting a troubling shift in drug use patterns.

One of the most concerning effects of this adulterated heroin is the damage it causes to users' veins.

The transition from heroin to its synthetic counterpart represents a worrying trend in the region's drug crisis, potentially complicating treatment efforts and increasing health risks for users.

The multidimensional factors contributing to the drug menace in the region include unemployment, the lingering impact of conflict, peer pressure, unfulfilled aspirations, parental expectations, poverty, and corruption.

Research findings also shed light on the prevalent drugs of abuse in Jammu and Kashmir, which include tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, benzodiazepines, opiates, brown sugar, and various inhalants.