Religious bodies can play an important role in preventing drug abuse: Experts

MASROOR AHMAD

SRINAGAR: In order to raise essential awareness about, devastating effects of drug abuse every year June 26 is celebrated as International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
In Kashmir Valley, Department of Psychiatry, IHANS, GMC Srinagar organised a workshop in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board at Drug de-addiction Centre, GMC, here.
Experts from different parts of Valley and health institutions expressed their thoughts and views during day-long workshop in SMHS Hospital Srinagar.
“The Stigma and discrimination associated with drug use can further harm people’s physical and mental health and prevent them from seeking help”, said experts.
This is need of hour that during Friday sermon Ulema and Immams of local Mosques should be raise drug abuse issue and its bad effects on our society, besides this it is our duty to create awareness and enhance the understanding of people on the issue of drug abuse.
There are nearly 10 lakh drug addicts in Jammu and Kashmir as per the National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi.
Amid rising drug abuse in Kashmir, doctors Para-medicos and other experts urged imams and other religious scholars to speak against the drugs and spread awareness among the people.
The doctors who are working tirelessly in drug de-addiction centres on different district headquarters said, it is clear that drug abuse is haramful, but there is need to make people understand it. There is also role of parents and teachers they should call preachers and other religious body members to school so they can make students understand, it is also important to save those who are not yet involved in drug abuse.
Meanwhile antinarcotics task force urges people to provide info on drug peddlers, dealers as drug abuse has emerged as a major problem in the Kashmir region in recent years as fatal heroin addiction has increased and hundreds of youth are falling prey to the narcotics substance.
According to recent data there are estimated 1,08,000 males and 36,000 females were found using Cannabis in Jammu and Kashmir while 5,34,000 males and 8,000 females were found in the dragnet of Opioids and 1,60,000 males and 8,000 females were found using sedatives of different kinds.
There are 340 Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts established in the country only one is running in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, three Outreach and Drop in Centres (ODICs) in UT of J&K out of total 71 established by the Ministry to provide safe and secure space of treatment and rehabilitation for substance users with provision of screening, assessment and counseling and thereafter provide referral and linkage to treatment and rehabilitation services for substance dependence, the Ministry said.