Over 10 Lakh Active Drug Users in Kashmir’s Vulnerable Youth Population By: Javid Amin Drug addiction, a ubiquitous and alarming problem, is not confined to any particular region and affects diverse populations even in unexpected locations such as Kashmir. The prevalence of substance abuse in this conflict-ridden region is not widely acknowledged, with approximately one million active drug addicts plaguing the land, posing dire consequences for both individuals and society as a whole. Drug addiction is a significant issue in Kashmir, with an estimated 10 lakh active drug addicts. The…
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Combatting Youth Drug Addiction: A Multi-Front Battle in Kashmir, from Mosques to Classrooms
Religious centres and educational institutions are assuming a new role in Kashmir by doubling up as counselling and testing centres to curb the fast-spreading menace of drugs. These rare interventions come as the Valley is battling a drug addiction crisis; over 10 lakh people were officially designated drug addicts by the Jammu and Kashmir administration this year. Otherwise restricted for the clergy, the pulpit at Magam Imambara in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, where Shia Muslims organise large religious congregations, recently saw Muzaffar Khan, a clinical psychologist who heads the Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation…
Read MoreKashmir’s Drug Crisis: A Growing Threat to Young People
Kashmir’s Drug Crisis: A Call to Action By: Javid Amin The Himalayan region of Kashmir is facing a growing drug addiction crisis. A recent survey found that nearly a million people in Jammu and Kashmir – around 8% of the region’s population – use drugs of some kind. This is a significant increase from previous years, and experts say it is a major cause for concern. There are a number of factors that have contributed to the rise in drug addiction in Kashmir. One is the long-running conflict between India…
Read MoreSMHS De-addiction Centre sees 75% Increase in Patient Traffic in One Year
At SMHS, One patient walks into de-addiction centre every 12 minutes: Report The number of patients visiting OPDs in the Valley’s largest District De-addiction Centre in SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, jumped 75% to 41,110 in the year-ending March 2023, Indian Express reported. This means that one patient walked into the OPD every 12 minutes. As per the report, in the previous financial year, over 21,000 follow-up patients and 2,000 new patients had turned up at the DDC while in ’22, the number of new users has gone past 3000 and follow-up patients…
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