Srinagar, Jan 13: There is no accurate figure about
drug abusers in Kashmir as doctors say that those visiting drug de addiction centres is very less compared
to the actual addicts.
A recent report by the National Drug Dependence
Treatment Centre in AIIMS revealed that over six lakh
people in Jammu and Kashmir are addicted to drugs.
But several doctors working in drug de-addiction and
Addiction treatment facilities talked to, said that though
the number of drug abusers visiting for treatment has
increased but their number is ‘tip of iceberg'.
Dr Adil Farooq, Medical Officer at ATF Shopian told
KNO that about 360 drug abusers have visited the
facility in the last one year and among them around 200
have been following their treatment but the rest are
visiting occasionally or some have abandoned it.
About 98 percent of them are addicted to heroin with 50
percent detected with Hepatitis B and C, he said.
Dr Adil said that Shopian is one of the districts where
rate of drug addiction and drug peddling is quite high but
only 300-400 addicts visited for treatment last year.
According to him, 90 percent drug abusers never visited
for treatment due to social stigma and lack of family
support.
The doctor said that a person addicted to heroin shells
out Rs 2500-5000 for buying the drug.
Similarly, another doctor from department of Psychiatry
GMC Anantnag told KNO concurred that many drug
addicts never visit drug de addiction facilities.
He said that the majority of people involved in drug
addiction fall in the 15-30 age group and the main
reasons behind it is peer pressure, easy availability of
drugs etc.
A doctor from GMC Srinagar said that easy availability
of drugs is one of prime reasons for the rise in the
number of drug addicts.
The doctors said that lack of proper parenting, lack of
care is found to be causes for drug addiction. They said
a drug addict should be treated as a patient and not a
criminal and they deserve love and care of their families
and community.
