Srinagar: About 50,000 people participated in a week-long drug de-addiction campaign launched to create awareness among the students and the general public in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The campaign was launched by a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) “Falahudarain” to create awareness among the students and the general public about the epidemic of drugs in Kashmir concluded on Sunday.
The campaign began on May 8 during which the people were informed that Jammu Kashmir has over 600,000 drug affected people which is 4.6 percent of the total population of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Among them, 90 per cent of the substance abusers were 17-33 years old as per the government data
The campaign focused on informing people about the escalating trends in drug abuse, the consequences of the addiction and the options for saving the addicted people.
Professionals from the medical fraternity, teachers of the colleges and local religious leaders were engaged to educate people about the exploding drug related crisis in the society.
According to a tactical report a 100 time increase in drug addiction patients has been recorded from 2014 to 2021 at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar. In 2021, cases of drug abuse doubled at Kashmir hospitals.
“It is high time to understand the exploding situation and respond at levels in society. The best ways are to create awareness in the younger generation about drug abuse, and guide them to hospitals for treatment and rehabilitation”, the speakers asserted.
To create awareness among the students of the schools and colleges, student oriented lectures of medical professions from Government Medical College Baramulla including Dr. Tajamul Hussain, Assistant Professor and Head Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Mudassir Hassan, Lecturer – Child Psychologist Department of Paediatrics, Dr. Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Senior Consultant, Clinical Psychologist from GMC Srinagar and Dr. Naushad Wani, Sr. Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Government Degree College Baramulla were organised. Lectures were held at Govt. Degree College (Boys), Baramulla, Govt. Women’s College, Baramulla, Govt. Boys Hr. Sec. School, Baramulla, Govt. Girls Hr. Sec. School, Baramulla and Baramulla Public School. Online sessions with Dr. Yasir Hassan, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, GMC Srinagar, In-Charge De- Addiction Centre, GMC Srinagar, Dr. Fazl-e-Rub, Senior Resident Drug De- Addiction, Centre, GMC Srinagar MD Psychiatry, DM Drug De- Addiction Centre Psychiatry and Dr. Masood Maqbool, Lecturer Clinical Psychology, GMC Srinagar were held.
Literature creating awareness on drug de-addiction was also distributed among the students at Baramulla.
For mass awareness, Imams (Priests) across the township of Baramulla addressed the public on the theme of Drug abuse and the De-Addiction strategies during the Friday sermons. A detailed information booklet on the drug abuse in Kashmir and the responsibility of the society was shared with the imams prior to the Friday address.
Thousands of tri-fold handbills containing information of drug de-addiction were distributed among masses to create awareness on moral, ethical, social and medical aspects of the epidemic. Bi folds with student specific information on drug de-addiction were distributed among the students of schools and colleges.
During the campaigns, “Falahudarain” associates met the prominent personalities of the town, media fraternity and other officers of the government with brochures informing on the drug pandemic. The officers were requested to take the drug menace seriously and adopt measures to curb the menace.
Efforts will continue to save people from drug abuse, said Dr. Imtiyaz Qadir, President of the “Falahudarain”.
