The seizure of 11131.67 kilogram of various contraband including 168.775 kg of Charas, 01.390 kg of Opium and 10961.505 kg of other derivatives by police during the last year is just the proverbial tip of an iceberg. The drug menace in the valley, if reports are to be believed is far bigger and wider in dimension than the assessment one could make from these figures. Even as the police and other concerned departments are seen making some effort here and there to destroy poppy crop or seizing the contraband, more and more land including government owned waste lands come under clandestine cultivation of the crop. The menace has been spreading very fast in South Kashmir and very vast patches of fields are seen under organized cultivation of the contraband crops. There are several cultivators who utilize services of non-local labourers for cultivation and harvesting operations of the crop. And these labourers are heavily paid in cash and kind. To keep them fit to carry on the activity their masters even offer them milk to drink. Labourers, having gained expertise in cultivation and harvest operations are much sought after lot. The cultivation of the crop is more lucrative compared to other normal crops. Police and other agencies are well aware of the facts related to the cultivation and even sale of opiates. Most of the contraband, as is generally perceived, goes in to markets outside the state. What is seized is only a fraction of the produce. Probably the police action prevents the traffickers from selling the contraband openly in the market but still they have access to potential consumers. If the drugs like opiates or opiate derivatives may not be easily available yet traffickers succeed in their nefarious designs of making inroads in to what is called the world of youth. Fear of unemployment or their failure to get their dreams fulfilled makes them vulnerable to the machinations of the drug traffickers. If one has access to the data available with various psychiatrists, dentists and physicians’ one can have a better view of the extent of the menace of drug abuse afflicting our youth. During a chain of recently held oral health camps organized in some educational institutions doctors came across cases of a variety of addictions. One strange case was that of a youth with extensive lacerations in his mouth and throat who was addicted to eating glass. Though this can't be the general truth, but it can held as an indicator of a grave reality. It reflects the mental makeup of the youth in particular and the level of frustration afflicting the youth in general. We already know how some young adults were found using a dirty substance like shoe polish to have some kind of kick. The incidence of suicides among young and young adults has increased manifold during the past few years. The problem needs to be studied in depth and addressed on a priority. Except for occasional seminars here and there, the educational institutions and some self-styled NGOs have been doing nothing concrete to fight the drug menace. And there are not many rehab centers for the youth who really want to get rid of the addiction. The government agencies as well as civil society need to attend to it urgently and with all seriousness. Politicians of all shades of opinion, religious and community leaders, student leaders and others commanding some hold over society at macro and micro levels need to do something to fight the menace. Destroying the contraband crop or produce may help to deprive the addicted persons of the contraband but their susceptibility keeps them exposed to the risk of switching over to alternate drug sources to satiate their urge for intoxication. The problem is multi dimensional and needs a mult-ipronged approach to fight it. Let us all do it collectively. Though we must not tar the whole society with the same brush, but we must show our concern towards a section of youth. They are to be saved from this disaster. Let's believe that they don't consume drugs, drug consumes them.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 23 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 23 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 IST