Underlining the gravity of substance abuse in Kashmir, experts today said that “drugs were devastating young generation and creating a societal crisis”
The experts were speaking at a function organised tocommemorate International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Government Medical College Srinagar.
The event saw experts from various fields involved inenforcing control over illicit trafficking of drugs and substance abuse speakabout the crisis that Kashmir is looking at.
Principal GMC Srinagar, Prof Kaiser Ahmed Koul said that”drugs were devastating a young generation and creating a societalcrisis.” “Drug overdoses and health complications induced by drugssuch as liver and kidney disorders, convulsions and mental health issuesarising out of it has become a reality in our emergency rooms,” he said.He added that health department needed to put in extensive efforts to tacklethe problem at various levels while urging authorities to prioritise the issue.
“Society was fighting a war against nefarious peoplewho had money and resources at their disposal. They have money to sell drugs,what do we have to protect ourselves against drugs?” he asked. Pressingfor the need of a ‘vaccine’ against substance abuse, he said that “it wasindividual and society against a mafia.”
“The vaccine against substance abuse could bestrengthened family values and quality time with kids, better and practicalreligious education and a societal crack down on people involved in making thispoison available to our kids,” he said.
Dr M Maqbool Dar, head department of Psychiatry GMC Srinagarsaid that various services had been made available at the department. “It was due to the untiring efforts ofthe staff of the department that more and more people were coming forward toseek help for mental health issues as well as substance abuse. We are using all our skills and resources toaddress the issue but it needs collaborative and intensive efforts,” he said.
He appreciated the role played by Excise Department, Police,JK State AIDS Control Society, Education department and others.
Dr Yasir H Reshi, faculty at department of Psychiatry saidthat “the fact the age of initiation was lowering down every year wasalarming in itself.” “If a kid as young as 10 is trying to experimentwith drugs, the society needs to wake up, parents need to retrospect what isgoing wrong,” he said.
Dr Sanjeet Kour from department of Psychiatry highlightedvarious aspects of heroin addiction.
A skit by students of Islamic University of Science andTechnology and Bibi Halima College of Nursing illustrated the ease with whichvulnerable adolescents get trapped in heroin addiction and how it was causingdeaths of these young people.
The event also saw legal and religious experts delving onthe issue.