Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Sunday said young people are dying due to heroin abuse in Kashmir.
“Heroin-related deaths go unreported in the valley,” saidDAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan.
“The heroin addicts admitted in the de-addiction center atSMHS hospital revealed that their friends are dying on regular basis due toheroin use and these deaths are not reported,” the DAK President said.
“It was only after seeing their peers dying in bathrooms,bedrooms and living rooms, these heroin addicts sought medical advice,” DrNisar said.
“Young people abusing heroin are either brought dead tohospitals or they die in intensive care units undiagnosed because the familieshide their history of drug abuse,” he added.
Dr Nisar said more heroin addicts are dying now because theyhave moved from snorting (inhaling through the nose) to injectables making thedrug even more lethal.
Heroin is an illicit opiod drug with highly addictivepotential and it can kill a person by respiratory or heart failure.
“The official figure of 343 heroin addicts in the valley isa gross underestimate as most of the abusers don’t seek medical attention,” DrNisar said adding that “there is an epidemic of heroin abuse in Kashmir posingserious threat to the whole community.”
“Unseen forces are behind heroin trafficking in Kashmir.They are using their touts and agents who receive financial and material assistancefor trafficking these deadly drugs. There is a strong network of drug peddlerswho make these drugs available with fruit sellers to tea shops and gyms andthey enjoy the patronage of certain forces behind the curtain,” Dr Nisar said.
“As many as 5525 drug addicts were registered in the year2018-2019 at SMHS de-addiction center. From cannabis to medicinal opiods tosolvents, the youth of Kashmir are hooked to different substances,” he said.
“We need to spread more awareness among youth about illeffects of drug abuse and create adequate infrastructure for treatment,rehabilitation and harm reduction for the victims of drug abuse,” said DrNisar.