J&K Battles Drug Epidemic: 1014 NDPS Cases In 3 Years

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 1014 drug cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 in the last three years, the Centre has informed.

In a written reply, the Minister of Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai informed in Rajya Sabha that the effort's of the government under 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan' (NMBA) has helped in better detection of the drug addiction cases.

As per the latest data published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) pertaining to the year 2022, details of Cases Registered (CR) for Possession of drugs for personal use/ consumption under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

In 2020, as many as 289 cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, in Jammu and Kashmir, 357 cases in 2021, and 394 in 2022, the minister informed.

The reply reads that the government has formulated and implemented the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR), under which the Government is taking sustained and coordinated action to arrest the problem of substance abuse among the youth across the country, including the UT of Jammu & Kashmir.

This includes launching of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) in all districts of Jammu & Kashmir. More than 91.5 lakh people in UT of Jammu & Kashmir have been reached out including more than 6 lakh Youth under the Abhiyan, it added.

The Minster informed Integrated Rehabilitation Centers for Addicts (IRCAs) supported by the Government is running in UT of Jammu & Kashmir to provide treatment for the drug victims and also to give services of preventive education, awareness generation, motivational counseling, detoxification/de-addiction, etc.

Community based Peer Led Intervention (CPLI) Centres supported by the Government are running in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to work with children below 18 to create awareness against drugs and teach life skills, it added.

Outreach and Drop In Centers (ODICs) supported by the Government are running in UT of Jammu & Kashmir to provide safe and secure space for treatment, rehabilitation, screening, assessment, counseling and to provide referral and linkage treatment and rehabilitation services for substance dependence, it reads.

The Minister informed 20 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) in Government hospitals is being implemented through All India Institute of Medical science (AIIMS), New Delhi, adding that District De-addiction Centres (DDACs) providing all three facilities of IRCA, ODIC and CPLI under one roof have been set up in UT of Jammu & Kashmir.

A toll-free helpline for de-addiction, 14446 is being maintained by the Government for providing primary counseling and immediate assistance to persons seeking help, it reads.

The Minister informed Navchetna Modules, teachers training modules have been developed by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MOSJE) for sensitizing students (6th – 11th standard), teachers and parents on drug dependence, related coping strategies and life skills.

Participation of more than 16 thousand educational institutions of UT of Jammu & Kashmir under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) have ensured that the message of the Abhiyaan has reached to the children and youth of the UT of Jammu & Kashmir, it added.

'3 In 4 Drug Users Have Hepatitis C'

The rising use of drugs, particularly heroin, is leading to an increase in Hepatitis C cases in Jammu & Kashmir as approximately three out of four drug users in the region are Hepatitis C positive, recent data indicates.

An official from the Department of Psychiatry at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar said,“We screen every patient for Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, and HIV. According to hospital-based studies, around 70 percent of drug users have tested positive for Hepatitis C.”

The official said that injection drug use is prevalent among drug users, and the most common cause of Hepatitis C in this population is the sharing of needles.“Hepatitis C is a chronic disease and, if left untreated, can lead to chronic liver disease,” he said, adding that the treatment requires expensive antiviral medications for 3-6 months, which places an additional burden on the families of drug users.

According to doctors, Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease primarily spread through the ingestion of contaminated food and water or direct contact with an infectious person. Unlike Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver disease and is rarely fatal. However, it can cause debilitating symptoms and lead to acute liver failure, which can be fatal if untreated.

“Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease,” doctors explained.“The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person. Chronic Hepatitis B can lead to serious conditions like cirrhosis and liver cancer.”

Regarding Hepatitis C, doctors described it as a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a blood-borne virus. They said it is most commonly spread through contact with blood from an infected person. The sharing of needles among drug users is a well-known transmission route for Hepatitis C, exacerbating the suffering of affected individuals and their families, they said.

The doctors warned that without treatment, Hepatitis C can be fatal. The disease often progresses without symptoms, potentially spreading silently to other family members and even being transmitted from an infected mother to her baby.

The doctors reiterated that needle sharing among drug users is the primary cause of Hepatitis C in Kashmir, with almost three out of four drug users affected. There is also a risk of these individuals contracting other infections, such as HIV, they added.

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