DRUG PERIL IN VALLEY SNOWBALLING INTO CRISIS

Centres For De-Addiction And Rehab In Short Supply

Srinagar, Jan 06: (KONS) Over the past several years, vested interests have
been promoting narcotic drugs in the valley on a large scale, and hundreds
of people, particularly the younger generation, have fallen prey to the
menace. Alarmingly, school children are being drawn into the web. It
appears as if the youth of Kashmir are being destroyed under a conspiracy.
The past decade-and-a-half of turmoil changed the complexion of the social
set-up here, and agencies from outside the state also appear to be active
in propping up the drug trade.

Surprisingly, thirty per cent of the addicts comprises of females - young
girls - indicating how badly the malady has gripped our society.

Ironically, the trade is shaping into an established business, with men as
well as women getting involved.

People who have fallen to addiction in the valley mostly use addictive
pharmaceutical preparations. Though strict laws exist against the sale of
such drugs without prescriptions, the "medicines" are openly available in
the market without any let or hindrance. The lust for wealth has so blinded
the dealers that they don't realise that their quest for riches is pushing
an entire generation into destruction, or that their own near and dear ones
can become victims.

On the other hand, the government institution entrusted with the task of
checking drug abuse, the Drug Control Department, is watching like a mute
spectator, because the personnel get their palms greased, and they forget
that by turning a blind eye they are committing as grave sin.

It is a tragedy that people suffering from metal strain due to the years of
turmoil find easy escape in the use of addictive substances. An the number
of such people is by no means small. But very few institutions exist that
can help the sufferers kick the habit.

A recently set up establishment - Dr. Shabir's Charitable De-addiction and
Rehabilitation Centre - feels that the number of addicts in the valley had
gone up alarmingly. They comprise overwhelmingly of youth, including a
large number of women.

If emergency measures to de-addict and rehabilitate the victims are not
taken immediately, it could give rise to a grave crisis in the near future.

Dr. Shabir had up-to-date and modern experience in de-addiction and
rehabilitation as he has done valuable work on this front in Germany.

Though his clinic treats the unfortunate victims free of cost, Dr. Shabir
says that this is not enough to counter the situation.

This requires massive steps at the governmental and social levels, he says.

It goes without saying that concerted efforts by the government and the
society are required to effectively check drug abuse, and the Drug Control
Department, together with the police will have to deal strictly with those
involved in the trade.

The police role is all the more accentuated because drugs are at the root
of several kinds of crime fast spreading through society.

In this materialistic age, unscrupulous elements, in their race for
overnight riches, don't desist from deeds that ruin other people.

If sometimes such elements do fall in the police net, they are inexplicably
let off.

The police claims that it acts against people involved in the trade. How
come the trade flourishes day by day instead of dying a quiet death?