The weekly column ‘Write Hand’ (GK, Sunday 8 July 2019) by Ajaz-ul-Haque began withdoubting the seriousness of the drug abuse in our valley, though later on thewriter does call for a concerted effort in curbing this menace, especially interms of ” the cultivation, the harvest,the smuggling, the trafficking, the sale, the transport and the whole chain ofdrug peddlers”. Although I’d agree with what the writer has said, the misuse ofdrugs is as serious as their production. Our youth have fallen a victim todrugs which is tearing our social fabric apart. Recently, the JK Policearrested many drug peddlers that has sent shock waves across the state for wecan’t afford to lose yet another generation, the earlier one having beenconsumed by the gun since 1990s. This life is worth living and destroying itwith drugs is a painful experience for the parents concerned and the society atlarge. Why do youngsters use illegal drugs is as serious a matter as why dopeople cultivate and/or development them? Both are criminals, but the formerattribute it to different social, political and economic factors while for thelatter it is just a matter of becoming rich by easy means.
Unfortunately, the world scenario in this respect is verydismal and we in Kashmir haven’t been able to escape from the impact of theglobal drug peddling. The UNDOC drug report of 2018 gives a terrifying pictureof the global drug production and says that the opium—the world’s most useddrug—production increased by 65% from 2016 to 2017 and reached 10, 500 tons atthe beginning of the 21st century. The opium-poppy cultivation in Afghanistanreached 9000 tons in 2017 which is 87% more than what it was in 2016. The totalopium cultivation area increased the world over by 37% (420, 000 hectares) in2017, and 75% of that area is in Afghanistan alone. Although seizures ofopiates and heroin increased substantially in 2016, there continues to be aglobal crisis in overcoming not only this menace but also another the misuse ofpharmaceuticals the world over—the non-medical use of opioids. It has now become a major concern of both lawenforcing agencies and the public health organisations. Different medicalopioids are misused in different regions, causing an immense loss to life. Forinstance, in North America, fentanyl is mixed with heroin or other drugs thathas led to an unprecedented number of overdose deaths. In Europe and West andNorth Africa, the non-medical use of methadone, buprenorphine and fentanylmixed with heroin cause scores of deaths. In the USA alone 63, 632 people diedin 2016 due to the drug overdose. Asiaand Africa have emerged as cocaine consumption and trafficking hubs. Globaltrends in both drug cultivation and using are quite horrifying. 10, 500 tons ofopium and 700-1000 tons of heroin have been produced the world over, whiletheir users reached a record high of 34.3 million in 2016. The seizures during2016 themselves show the gory situation that the world is facing in terms ofdrug cultivation, trafficking and using. In 2016, Iran seized 528, 928,Pakistan 64, 608, Afghanistan 69, 665 and India 4903 kgs of opium. Morphemeseizures were 47, 048 kgs in Afghanistan, 10, 903 in Pakistan and 29 kgs inIndia. Heroin seizures were 23, 172 kgs inn Pakistan, 21, 098 kgs in Iran and1683 kgs in India. As has been mentioned above, the non-medical use ofdifferent opioids that has now become a major concern in the world. The UNDOCreport mentions that methamphetamine trafficking has increased substantially inEast and South-East Asia and North America. It has become a second major threatin the US after heroin.
Opioids are the drugs that present the largest cause forconcern due to the severe impact on the health of users. In India, a2018-survey shows a dismal picture of the drug abuse, both narcotics and thenon-medical use of opioids. In this regard, the misuse and trafficking ofpainkiller Tramadol was found to have devastated many lives. Among the negativeimpacts of the drug use, mental health disorders, HIV infection, hepatitis B &C and premature deaths due to their overdose have now become a major concern inIndia.
The Kashmir scenario presents a perturbing trend in the drugmenace. A survey conducted by two scholars at the Aligarh Muslim Universitypublished in 2017 presented a very alarming impact of the drug use resulting in”psychiatric problems like Depression, OCD, PTSD, Drug Addiction, etc.” Theyquote UN report that put the number of drug-addicts in the Kashmir valley to70, 000 that includes 4000 females also. Also quoted in the report is the datafrom the study of a well-know psychiatrist in the valley that puts the numberof drug users in the valley to 2.11 lakh in the age group of 17-30 years. Morefrightening is the involvement of students of Class IX and XII that has becomea worrying factor at the Drug De-addiction Centre at Srinagar. Among thesubstances used by drug-users are narcotics like Cannabis, Brown Sugar, Heroinand opioids like SP tablets, Anxit and Alprax. The drug users continue to finddifferent ways of intoxicating themselves by using extraordinarily dangeroussubstances like Fevicol, SR Solution, Thinner, Shoe Polish, Paint varnish anddirty socks. The study laments that Kashmir has already lost a generation tothe gun and another generation getting consumed by the drug menace.Unfortunately, not all drug using cases are reported in the valley. However,those admitted in Drug De-addiction Centre have been found using differentsubstances—out of 1332 rehabilitated patients, 90 misused alcohol, 275 used Cannabis,222 benzodiazepines, 25 cocaine, 165 substances like SR solution and 330patients were poly-users (users of more than one drug together).
Cultivation of opium, poppy and Hashish has increasedsubstantially in the valley over the past several years. Recently, the JKPolice apprehended more than a dozen drug-peddlers that signals a dangeroussituation of drug menace in Kashmir. It is time that we woke up and put ourheads together to save our young generation from destroying itself. We can’tput entire blame on the chaotic situation in the valley. Parents need to keep aconstant vigil on their children so that they don’t fall a victim tounscrupulous elements. The society at large needs to rise to the occasion andsee that our youngster live a normal and responsible life. It’s really aserious matter both in terms of cultivation and use. Both need be curbed soonerthan later.