In a significant move to tackle the escalating drug menace, the Jammu & Kashmir administration on Saturday convened a special workshop for more than 100 mosque imams. The initiative aims to leverage their community influence to spread awareness about the dangers of heroin and substance abuse, which are seeing a worrying rise across the region.
Imams as Frontline Warriors in De-addiction Drive
The religious leaders gathered at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) in Srinagar. Senior officials, including Divisional Commissioner (Kashmir) Anshul Garg, and medical experts like Dr. Arshad Hussain, head of psychiatry at IMHANS-Kashmir, briefed the imams. They emphasized the crucial role religious scholars can play in removing stigma associated with addiction and encouraging affected individuals to seek medical help.
"The active cooperation of religious scholars is crucial in sensitising people, particularly the youth, about the harmful and dangerous effects of drug abuse," stated Garg. He urged the imams to use Friday sermons and religious gatherings to convey that drug consumption is prohibited in all faiths and that it devastates individuals, families, and society.
A Three-Pronged Strategy and Alarming Historical Data
The government outlined a three-stage strategy to combat the crisis: widespread awareness campaigns, identification of drug users, and providing counselling and rehabilitation. Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, affirmed the administration's commitment to taking strong measures to curb drug abuse.
Dr. Arshad Hussain highlighted the growing burden of substance use disorders, stressing the need for early intervention and community participation. The workshop included detailed presentations tracing the region's disturbing drug abuse trajectory. Experts noted that addiction was rare in the Valley in the early years, with only seven opium users treated between 1980 and 1990 at the facility now known as IMHANS-Kashmir.
The Sharp Rise to a Heroin Epidemic
The numbers began to climb in 1992, with 198 substance-use patients. The 1990s primarily saw dependence on medicinal opioids. By 2000, misuse of prescription drugs like Spasmoproxyvon became common. Cannabis use later spread widely, but a major shift occurred post-2018, with a large number of users transitioning to heroin.
The statistics reveal an explosive growth in cases:
- 2020: 7,403 patients recorded at the IMHANS de-addiction centre.
- 2021: New and follow-up patients surged to 23,403.
- 2022: The number reached a staggering 41,110.
A 2023 IMHANS survey, "Prevalence and Pattern of Substance Use Disorders in Ten Districts of Kashmir," estimates there are now 67,468 substance-dependent individuals in the Valley, confirming heroin as the most widely used opioid.
This unique collaboration between the government and religious leadership marks a critical community-driven approach to address a public health emergency that threatens the social fabric of Kashmir.
