Drug De-Addiction Policy: An Explicit War On Drug Abuse In J&K

Srinagar: Drug Addiction has assumed the magnitude of a silent epidemic in J&K and despite its high prevalence, the awareness about the problem is low. Jammu and Kashmir lies in the vicinity of the “Golden Crescent”, a name given to South Asia’s opium producing countries Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan which produces 80 percent of the world’s opium and is considered as the prime source of illicit drug trade. Under such a scenario, it becomes more imperative to curb the menace of drug abuse in J&K. In order to combat this rising societal problem, the Jammu and Kashmir government has released its maiden drug deaddiction policy so that stakeholder departments and the masses are involved in the efforts meant for combating the menace of substance abuse here. J&K is the first UT in the country only after Punjab state, which has a drug de-addiction policy of its own. Substance abuse required a multi-pronged strategy and the policy incorporates social, medical and legal aspects to address the issue better. The policy while stressing the need to have