Start of NCB operations from Srinagar will help check rising drug abuse

Keeping in view the growing cross-border narcotic trade and spike in crimes linked to drug abuse, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is going to set up an office in Srinagar to control the situation on the ground. The NCB is already operating in the UT of J&K from Jammu from 2020.
Most of the recent crime cases cracked by J&K Police have shown that the alleged criminals were linked with drug addiction and have links with drug peddlers. The official data available is also very disturbing despite the fact that police have registered over 1,000 cases against drug peddlers and other such offenders in Kashmir valley. The data released by J&K Police shows that in 2022, at least 1,700 drug peddlers were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
In 2022, Army and other security agencies along with J&K Police confiscated a huge hauls of drugs. Official data shows that these agencies confiscated 212 kg charas, 56 kg heroin, 13 kg brown sugar, 4.35 tonnes of poppy straw, and 1.57 tonnes of fukki. J&K Police Chief Dilbagh Singh recently told the media that most of the theft cases in Srinagar city were linked to drugs. As the crackdown is continuing in J&K against drug peddlers, the opening of an office by the NCB in Kashmir valley will further tighten the grip and help check cross-border drug smuggling to a large extent. Thousands of youth are coming for treatment with the help of their families to get rid of drug addiction. Doctors who are treating such youth at one of the de-addiction centres of SMHS hospital of Srinagar said that due to the crackdown on drug peddlers, the youth are being forced to come forward for treatment.
Talking to media recently Dr Yasir Rather, heading the Treatment Center (DDTC) of IMHANS, located at SMHS, said, “Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) serves as a compassionate lifeline, providing individuals addicted the opportunity for recovery and renewal.” He added: “With parental help, they bring them on a path of healing and hope. By replacing destructive cycles with support and evidence-based medical intervention, OST paves the way for resilience and lives free from the grip of opioid dependency.”
Recently, the army and security agencies confiscated huge drug consignments in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The opening of an office in Srinagar will encourage the security agencies to further plug such chains and save thousands of lives from being devastated in Jammu and Kashmir.
The present situation is very grim on the ground as per a survey conducted by the Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Government Medical College, Srinagar, in collaboration with the social welfare department and Directorate of Health in all ten districts of Kashmir valley. The survey, submitted in July 2022, says that 2.8% of total population of Kashmir is substance users, with 52,404 dependents on drugs.