By Kashmir News Corner 
Says Chief Secretary Personally Monitoring Valley’s Largest Anti-Drug Drive; Society Urged to Unite Against Growing Addiction Crisis
Fazil Mir
Srinagar, Jan 3 (KNC): Sounding a strong alarm over the rapidly worsening drug abuse situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, on Saturday warned that the menace has assumed serious proportions, with addiction levels tripling over the past three and a half years and heroin consumption sharply rising among the youth.
Speaking to reporters during a Drug De-Addiction Awareness Programme at IMHANS, as per news agency Kashmir News Corner — KNC, Div Com Garg described the rising drug abuse in Jammu and Kashmir as a serious social crisis and a clear alarm bell for society.
He said the scale of addiction has grown at an alarming pace, noting that the problem has increased nearly three times over the past three and a half years, with heroin use witnessing a sharp surge among the youth. “This trend is deeply disturbing and serves as a strong warning signal for all of us,” Garg remarked.
Underscoring the importance of the ongoing anti-drug campaign, the Divisional Commissioner said the initiative is being closely supervised at the highest level, with the Chief Secretary of J&K personally monitoring what he termed as one of the largest awareness drives in the Valley.
Garg lauded IMHANS for playing a key role in capacity building and awareness generation, stating that counsellors are being systematically trained across health and educational institutions.
He said five-day training programmes are being conducted under the supervision of the Principal, GMC Srinagar, and similar sessions will be extended to all districts of Kashmir in the coming days.
Highlighting the growing societal involvement, Garg said religious leaders in Srinagar have actively stepped forward to support the campaign, giving it added momentum.
He noted that stakeholders from all sections of society are joining hands to strengthen the collective fight against drug abuse.
He further informed that IMHANS has operationalised helpline services and is training volunteers to effectively handle distress calls and guide affected individuals towards help.
Reaffirming the administration’s commitment, the Divisional Commissioner said the government’s health, social welfare and district administration machinery remains available round-the-clock for those struggling with addiction.
“This battle cannot be fought by the government alone. Society as a whole must come together and support medical institutions working tirelessly to address this menace,” he added. (KNC)