Amid rising incidence of substance abuse in the state, the government has finalised the first-ever drug policy and put it in public domain for feedback before its implementation.
The 31-page draft document is a compilation of various mechanisms the government plans to put in place to curb rising cases of substance abuse in the state.
Framed by the Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (IMHANS) of the Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar in collaboration with the department of psychiatry, SKIMS, and the J&K State AIDS Control Society, the draft policy has materialised after years of demand by experts for a
roadmap to deal with substance abuse cases in the state.
The health and medical education department uploaded the draft policy for drug de-addiction on its website. A notification in this regard was also issued seeking comments/suggestions from academics, civil society organisations, government departments and general public “so that suitable improvements could be made”.
The policy will be available for review, comments and critique of stakeholders for 30 days, officials in the department said.
“After a month, the draft document would be re-worked based on suggestion and feedback before finalising it,” a senior official of the department said.
Commissioner/secretary health and medical education Atal Dulloo called the policy a “landmark” for health sector of J&K.
He said the government had “intensively worked” on the policy with a team whose members were drawn from various departments.
As per the policy, 14 departments have been identified to play a role in implementation of the policy and bring down substance abuse. Among these are IMHANS, GMC Jammu, directorates of health services of Kashmir and Jammu and other health institutes of the state, J&K police, department of education, excise and taxation department, department of social welfare and non-governmental organisations working in the area of de-addiction.
The feedback, according to the notification, can be posted at jdphealth@gmail.com.