Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is facing an unprecedented drug abuse crisis, with more than 13.5 lakh people in the Union Territory currently addicted to various substances, including over 1.68 lakh minors between the ages of 10 and 17. Among these children, nearly 95,000 are opioid users — the most disturbing figure yet in a growing health and social emergency.
The data, revealed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment shows that Kashmir’s children are increasingly falling into the trap of hard drugs. In addition to opioids, 8,000 minors are using cannabis, 19,000 are dependent on sedatives, 46,000 inhale toxic substances, and smaller but significant numbers are reported to be using cocaine, amphetamine stimulants, and hallucinogens.
The adult population is also heavily affected. Among the 11.8 lakh adults aged between 18 and 75 who are substance users in J&K, 4.47 lakh are addicted to opioids, 3.54 lakh consume alcohol, 1.51 lakh use sedatives, and 1.36 lakh rely on cannabis. There are also increasing reports of use of more dangerous synthetic drugs including cocaine, hallucinogens, and stimulants.
The numbers have rattled activists and social workers, who say the impact is being felt in every corner of society.
“Addiction is touching every household now — directly or indirectly,” said Firdous Ahmad, a Srinagar-based activist. “We’re seeing children as young as 12 being brought in for counselling.”
Others point to overburdened rehab centres, understaffed facilities, and widespread social stigma, which often delays treatment and worsens outcomes.
A de-addiction counsellor from south Kashmir said, “Stigma prevents families from seeking help. By the time they act, the addiction has often become severe. We need school-level interventions and trained counsellors in every institution.”
The National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR), launched by the central government in 2018, was designed to support awareness, prevention, and rehabilitation efforts across the country. While it includes skill development and livelihood support for recovering addicts, experts on the ground in J&K say the scheme’s implementation remains uneven and lacks urgency.
Experts and activists are now urging the Jammu and Kashmir administration to urgently formulate a dedicated Drug De-addiction and Youth Rehabilitation Policy. They are calling for an expansion of mental health and rehabilitation infrastructure, integration of addiction-related education and intervention in schools and colleges, strict regulation of pharmaceutical drug misuse, and community-level programmes aimed at prevention and early detection.
Despite the grim figures, professionals say the battle is still winnable — but only if the issue is treated as an immediate public health emergency. “The stigma must go. Families need to be supported, not blamed. And above all, the government must move fast. If we delay, we are not just risking lives, we are risking the future of Kashmir itself,” said one counsellor.
With nearly 14 lakh people affected — including a growing number of minors — the numbers reflect not just a crisis, but a generational catastrophe in the making. (inputs from KNO)
