The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday released into public domain its maiden drug de-addiction policy document so that various departments and the masses are involved in the efforts meant for combating the menace of substance abuse in J&K.
While lauding the work of experts who contributed todrafting the policy, Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo said J&K isthe only state in the country, after Punjab, which has a drug de-addictionpolicy of its own.
“In fact, it is a better policy because the thrust is ondemand reduction,” he said.
Dulloo said that substance abuse required a multi-prongedstrategy and the policy had incorporated social, medical and legal aspects toaddress the issue better. Two committees have been constituted to monitor theimplementation of the policy at various levels, he added.
Stressing the need tohave standards of care in drug de-addiction centers and remove the taboosurrounding the problem, Dulloo said, “Drug de-addiction centers will be set-upwith proper guidelines and standards of care will be maintained wherever theseexist in State.” These centers are would be set up in district hospitals of thestate.
Recounting the achievements of the policy since its approvalin February this year, he said 165 patients had been registered already forOpioid Substitution Therapy (OST) to help them come out of opium addition, agrowing, life-threatening menace.
He said that two drug de-addiction centers were being set-upat Kulgam and Tral under a centrally-sponsored scheme this year to improve theaccess of facilities for those seeking help for substance abuse.
Prof Kaiser Ahmed, Principal Government Medical CollegeSrinagar, said that substance abuse had touched all the families in state insome way or the other and had increased the burden of physical as well asmental illnesses here.
“Addiction has assumed the magnitude of a silent epidemic inJ&K,” he said and added that despite the high prevalence, the awarenessabout the problem was low.
Prof Kaiser said thatsubstance abuse was responsible for deaths of a number of young adults.
“It is a reality in almost all emergency rooms in thestate,” he said.
Prof Kaiser said substance abuse was responsible for anincrease in crimes, increase in “moral degradation” and lower participation ofthe youth in economic activities of the state.
“If it is not addressed properly it can lead to annihilationof our young generation,” he said, while calling upon stakeholders to playtheir part in combating the threat.
He stressed upon the need to have a compassionate approachtowards those under the clasp of abuse. “We need to end the sin, not thesinner,” he said.
Head department of Psychiatry Dr M Maqbool Dar said theInstitute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (IMHANS) had successfully treated12000 patients indulging in substance misuse across Jammu and Kashmir in itstwo centers.
Last year, the initiative of drug de-addiction policy tookshape after Chief Secretary BVR Subramanayam took cognizance of extensive mediareports about drug abuse.
The policy was reviewed by experts from premier Institutionsof AIIMS, PGI, NIMHANS, TISS, Directorate of Health Services, GoI and alsoopinions were received from various civil society groups and the public in thestate of J&K.
The policy was finalized on 10 December 2018 afterincorporation of views and opinions from experts. In January 2019, the SAC approved the draftpolicy.