Drug Debate: Who's to Blame?

A few years ago, I attended a workshop on drug de-addiction that was organised by the Department of Psychiatry at SMHS Hospital and J&K Higher Education. The final session was extremely painful. A tall man with curly hair who had a long history of drug abuse was presented to us. In his words, 'I am 28 years old residing in srinagar. I completed my schooling at a reputed school. Things were not going my way. Nearly three years ago, my girlfriend broke up with me  and it went beyond what I could tolerate. My chest swelled with waves of sadness. I was feeling as if my world was falling apart. I lost my enthusiasm for life. I indulged in smoking and went on to consume cannabis. My life began to spiral out of control when I started taking brown sugar. During the course of six months, I spent around 12 lac rupees on advanced drugs. I think I have wasted 28 years of my life'. 

The best thing in his short speech was the realisation that he had made a mistake. God knows better if that young man has become a success story, living a sober life and helping others who are struggling with substance use disorder.  Many of the hundreds of addicts seeking treatment from Drug Rehabilitation Centre of SMHS are minors.  Nothing is more disturbing than noticing teenagers smoking cigarettes or consuming drugs. Female folks specifically students embracing the drug culture to numb themselves is even more horrifying. Some addicts think drugs are cool. Some refer to it as a time pass, some as fashion, while others see it as a compulsion. Many individuals have doubts about the role of the police in mitigating the drug menace, and many police personnel believe that communities and religious leaders are not sincere in recognising the issue. Total chaos. 

Hospitals and police officers have been involved in hundreds of successful cases of treating drug addicts, but we haven't heard of any civil society where the issue of drug abuse has been properly addressed. I heard one of my friends saying that there are no societies, just civilians. While many of the local muftis and faith leaders often circulate their sermons on Facebook, we rarely see them discussing drug crises and possible solutions to them. Most of the families know that their children have turned out to be drug addicts, yet they conceal their involvement in drug abuse out of fear and embarrassment. Some families even keep their children's addictions a secret until the wedding leaving the bride and her family devastated.

Reporting drug addicts and activities to the concerned quarters is everyones responsibility. Yet the most important role in identifying and responding to drug users more quickly should come from parents, friends, co-workers and the local community. There are certain strategic locations in every city, town, and village where people take and consume these substances, known locally as "Charse Pends". While many people could see them, nobody would dare to speak and confront these addicts. It is only by working together that we can avoid the tragedy and helplessness of communities severely affected by the drug trade and associated crimes. 

According to a survey on the extent of substance usage in India, the National Drug Dependency Treatment Centre of AIIMS ranked J&K fifth and estimated that more than 6 lakh people living in the Union Territory have turned out to be victims of drug abuse. In Kashmir, drug trafficking was rarely  observed, and I'm not sure if some research is available to determine where the trade originated from and which organisations are in charge of it. 

Although educational institutions often host drug awareness campaigns, they have not been able to significantly lower the number of drug addicts.  Even drug control laws and policies have not been successful in bringing down the trafficking and abuse of dangerous drugs and substances. It is as if we are fighting a losing battle against drugs.

There is not a single day without a breaking news of addicts killing people and wreaking havoc in their towns on social media. What could be more horrifying than a son killing his own mother when  the Ashmuqam incident, in which a  drug addict killed three people, including his mother is still haunting us. What was depicted in movies are now being witnessed in real life.

There are frightening tales of drug use, poverty, inequality, exploitation and domestic violence in every town, hamlet, and colony. Suicide rates are increasing dramatically. Young boys and girls prefer death over life. The society is turning a blind eye to reality. We are yet to come across successful initiatives of the civil societies to improve the quality of life  for it's members. They have the power to influence public opinion, advocate for the rights of marginalized and vulnerable people, create and implement policies, mobilize resources, and act as a bridge between government and citizens. Every civil society must have social and economic vision for their community. 

We are a typical creation to understand. When a person qualifies for IAS/KAS, the entire town takes the credit of his success but nobody takes the responsibility of a drug addict who belongs to the same town. We live in a society where individualism is valued over collectivism, families are less interested in building ties with their neighbours, strange behavior of neighbor's son or daughter is ignored and drug addicts who have recovered successfully are struggling for social acceptance and recognition.

Accepting some bitter truths about our society would perhaps allow us to engage in meaningful conversations with affected stakeholders. Let all civil societies from North to South and from East to West ensure that social and economic justice is upheld and that the rights of all citizens are respected and maintained. 

To conclude, I would argue for drug education in schools to enable students to make smarter decisions about their own health and safety. The drug situation in this part of the region is terrifying, and it's time to step back and analyse the situation before it gets out of hand.