Kashmir grapples with surge in synthetic heroin use

Srinagar, Aug 6: Kashmir, long battling a severe drug addiction problem, now faces a new and potentially more dangerous threat: the rise of synthetic heroin use.

This alarming trend is causing unprecedented health issues among users, including chronic scarred veins and various skin diseases, pushing Kashmir’s healthcare system to its limits.

The gravity of the situation came to light during a routine checkup at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) in Srinagar.

Doctors discovered alarming signs of chronic scarred veins among many drug addicts in a patient named Amir (name changed for privacy).

Despite being under treatment for drug addiction for several months, this severe condition has gone unnoticed until now.

Further investigation revealed that Amir had been using adulterated or synthetic heroin, a mixture of pharmaceutical opioids, for years.

Dr Yasir Rather, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at IMHANS, GMC Srinagar, said that over the past two years, doctors had encountered numerous similar cases, indicating a worrying shift in drug use patterns across the region.

“We are observing an alarming trend where the majority of drug abusers are now consuming adulterated heroin,” Dr Rather said. “This synthetic version is a dangerous cocktail of pharmaceutical opioids, including substances like Tramadol, mixed with opium. It poses even greater risks than pure heroin.”

The health consequences of this shift are severe and potentially life-threatening.

“Prolonged use of synthetic heroin can lead to vein collapse, cardiac events, and other life-threatening complications. Its toxicity is amplified because it doesn't dissolve properly in the bloodstream, instead accumulating in the veins,” Dr Rather said.

While pure heroin use has reportedly declined in Kashmir, most cases of adulterated heroin abuse are now coming from Jammu.

This geographical shift adds another layer of complexity to the crisis.

The rise in synthetic heroin use is attributed to recent law enforcement efforts against drug trafficking, which have limited the availability of pure heroin in J&K.

“Firstly, the Afghan government’s ban on poppy cultivation has reduced the smuggling and availability of heroin. Secondly, our local authorities have taken strong action against drug peddlers, including asset seizures,” Dr Rather said.

The issue has caught the attention of national authorities.

On July 18, Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the growing problem of synthetic drugs in India, noting the recent discovery of illegal laboratories.

Shah emphasised the need for state investigation agencies to collaborate with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to combat this menace effectively.

“Our goal should be that neither will we allow even a single gram of drugs to enter India from anywhere nor will we allow India's borders to be used in any way for drug trade,” he said.

The scale of the substance abuse problem in J&K is staggering.

According to a 2018 national survey conducted by the ministry on the extent and pattern of substance use in India, over 14.09 lakh people aged between 10 and 75 in the region were using various psychoactive substances.

The breakdown is alarming with approximately 5.4 lakh individuals abusing opioids, 4.20 lakh using alcohol, 1.4 lakh consuming cannabis, and 1.35 lakh inhaling substances.