Majid Nabi
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 29: Notwithstanding government's tall claims to make Srinagar city drug free, children aged below fifteen years have been abusing drugs fallen prey to the menace with police seemingly undaunted over the rampant selling and purchasing of narcotics in educational institutions. According to a survey conducted by United Nations International Drug Control Program, there were about 70,000 people comprising 26 per cent women using drugs which include hashish, brown sugar, and man-drug in Kashmir till 2009. The survey said the educational institutions had become the hub of such activities. "The drug paddlers run their operations by poisoning the thoughts of student community. It includes Ganja, Heroin, Cocaine, LSD, and injecting morphine and drinking alcohol," Sources told 'Early Times' that Charas and brown sugar like substances are easily available in Srinagar city with Lal Chowk, Dalgate, Jhelum Bund, Maisuma have turned out to be top dog with police taking regular monthly share over the years at the cost of innocent lives. "Students are using drugs to improve the studying abilities enhancing memory power, deepening self understanding and solving personal problems without caring for the consequences and thus becoming the hard core drug addicts." "The students from class 9th to 12 become the victims of smoking and memory-enhancing pills, under the pressure and stress of examination," the study revealed. Even though heroin, cannabis products often called charas, bhang, or ganja and pharmaceutical drugs are the most frequently abused drugs in India and also in this border state; however petrol addiction is becoming very common in Kashmir and Jammu provinces as well since past couple of years. Despite repeated attempts by this correspondent neither IG Kashmir range nor SSP Srinagar picked up the phone to clear their stand over the issue. Illicit drug use is increasing in Kashmir, with some psychiatrists claiming it has reached "epidemic proportions." Health experts attribute the rise to various factors, including easy access to drugs, outside influence from tourism, and individual and societal strains from the ongoing conflict in Kashmir. At least 127 patients, including a 15-year old girl, were admitted as inpatients in the department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Srinagar, while the data from March 2014 until March 2015 reveals that 193 patients were treated in Outpatient department that included two girls. Besides, 111 patients have been given OST treatment. Drugs continue to ruin the lives of thousands of people in Kashmir, while Baramulla and Anantnag districts top the chart of drug abuse. The state is badly hit by drug addiction for the last couple of years. As per an estimate 45 per cent population in Islamabad and 40 per cent population in Baramulla is believed to be affected. |
