There is no doubt in the fact that the administration in J&K has taken commendable steps to eradicate drug menace from the region through a comprehensive campaign involving all the stakeholders. Equally good is the move to tighten noose around those procuring and distributing drugs among the people through various means including some non-conventional ones like Combing and Search Operations (CASOs) in the localities susceptible to this menace.
In this context, reportedly Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered 614 FIRs under the NDPS Act, arrested 646 persons and apprehended 435 drug peddlers during the ongoing 100-day Nasha Mukt JK Abhiyan till May 8, 2026, as the administration intensified its crackdown on narcotics networks across the Union Territory. Though, this 100 days campaign has been proving fruitful in combating the scourge of substance abuse in a big way but the government should fortify things in the long run to ensure that people especially the younger lot (youths) should be educated in a way that no one could sway them towards the social evil of substance abuse.
In this regard, the idea floated by one of the spokespersons of BJP to introduce chapters on drug awareness in the syllabus of Secondary and Higher Secondary levels across all the schools in the UT of J&K seems to be innovative and useful in meaningfully fighting this menace in the times to come. The BJP leader has rightly said that there is an urgent need to educate students at an early stage about the harmful effects of narcotics and the legal consequences associated with drug trafficking.
Students should be made ambassadors of society in the fight against drugs through structured education and awareness. Such a step will address the problem by reaching up to its roots as through education the process of making informed and responsible citizens can be given a new direction.
Of course, the present day fight against drugs through enforcement and public awareness campaigns is proving advantageous but what is more important is that the society should develop strong resistance against substance abuse through education. By only introducing the chapters on drug awareness will not serve the purpose as it is equally important for the schools to have interactive sessions, exclusive lectures by the experts and people from the law implementing agencies besides conclaves on health and legal complications arising out of drugs.
All said and done, the need of the hour is that the younger generation be empowered with knowledge, confidence and moral strength to reject this social evil and contribute in making Jammu and Kashmir a drug free society in real sense.
