Heroin addiction grips Kashmir, number of abusers up nearly 100 times in 7 years

The number of registrations for the treatment at the drug de-addiction center in Srinagar show an upward trend since 2014

The ever-increasing number of people seeking de-addiction treatment for heroin abuse in Kashmir clearly indicates that Pakistan continues to push deadly drugs into the region not only to finance militancy but to trap the youth in the tentacles of drugs.

The number of registrations for the treatment at the drug de-addiction center (DDC) of Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar show an upward trend since 2014.

According to the figures in 2014, only 140 patients had registered at the DDC for treatment of intravenous heroin addiction. The number jumped to 1,800 in 2017 and crossed 2,000 in the next year. In 2019, 3,852 registered for the treatment while in 2020, despite health and de-addiction facilities being hampered due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 6,200 patients registered at the Center for IV Heroin abuse. Last year, 13,200 sought medical help for addiction.

"The number of cases of heroin abuse is much higher than reported at de-addiction facilities in Kashmir. Heroin addiction in Kashmir was becoming an addiction of a generation. Heroin in Kashmir is as easily available as cigarettes. We have several cases where multiple family members were consuming heroin,” Dr Muzaffar Khan, the in-charge of J&K Police drug de-addiction centre in Srinagar told DH.

The huge flow of patients approaching hospitals for de-addiction is corroborated by the large narcotic seizures in recent years, particularly of high value drugs like heroin. A total of 72.07 kg of heroin was seized in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015, 174.94 kg of heroin was seized in 2016, 207.46 kg in 2017, 193.82 kg in 2018, over 200 kg in 2019 and over 152 kg in 2020of heroin.

This is a matter of serious concern as drugs are the major source of funding for Pakistan‐sponsored terrorism in Kashmir. “The malaise is much deeper and the narco-terror is growing to become a big threat from Pakistan not only in terms of sustenance of terrorist activities by terror outfits but also in terms of its impact on the youth in the valley,” a police officer said.

In October 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, “When our neighbour could not succeed in its nefarious designs by sending terrorists and weapons, it hatched a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into our country to destroy our youth.”

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