Srinagar, June 26: Marking the observance of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather Saturday said that the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) was coming up with six Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATF) in district hospitals in collaboration with National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS.
A spokesman of DHSK said that the director in his message delivered on the day said, “We don’t have to be in denial about substance use disorders in our society.”
The director said that within a short time, the DHSK was coming up with six ATF centres in district hospitals in collaboration with NDDTC, AIIMS.
“The work on this project is going on. These centers will be soon established,” he said. “We are sitting on a volcano of substance use. Our society has moved from soft to hard drugs in a short span and being in denial about it is catastrophic.”
The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations International Day against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade. It is observed annually on 26 June since 1989.
Dr Rather said that this year’s theme was ‘Share Facts On Drugs, Save Lives’ and said: “We should fight drug addiction from multiple angles and talk to our children. From the medical point of view we recognise the problem and are taking steps for its mitigation. We need to fight this issue from multiple sides. Substance Use Disorder patients will not need to travel to Srinagar for their treatment. It will be available to them in their own districts through proper and professional way, which will include medical management and counseling.”
He said that the foremost thing was that parents should talk to their children and communicate with them.
“They should not let them be in isolation. Parents should see how their children are studying, behaviour patterns. They should seek medical help if needed,” Dr Rather said.
He said that at the social level, Masjid committees, Gurduwara committees and Mandir committees should also play their part in counseling and identifying these people and seeking help.
“Those involved or affected by drug abuse should not be left alone or stigmatised. Instead they need our love, care and affection so that we help them in coming out of addiction,” he said.
Dr Rather requested all stakeholders to fight this menace from multiple dimensions.