Calling for a multi-pronged strategy to deal with the menace of drug abuse, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today said the hazard of drug addiction can be tackled only through effective collaboration between the government and the non-government organizations including civil society and religious leaders.Interacting with a delegation of Civil Society Forum Kashmir (CSFK) headed by leading businessman Mr Umar Tramboo, the Chief Minister said drug trafficking and drug abuse have become a menacing problem in the society and it needs to be curbed comprehensively and with determination to safeguard the lives of young generation.She said the government effort alone can’t achieve much on this count and an inclusive strategy needs to be adopted involving parents, religious heads, civil society, school administration, health educators and NGOs to take on this menace effectively."Drug trafficking and drug addiction has become a major problem for many families, communities and for the law enforcement agencies and if it continues like this, the menace is going to take significant toll on valuation of human lives and loss of productive years of youth," she said and added that the youth need to educated about the deadly side effects of drug abuse including cancer, AIDS, cardiac, pulmonary and renal disorders besides leading the victim into the realm of psychiatric and social troubles.“It was better that the youth understood the menacing ill-effects of drug abuse and refrain from any indulgence that might jeopardize their bright career, future and life,” she said.To keep the youth, especially the educated unemployed, away from drugs, the Chief Minister called for skill enhancement of the young boys and girls to make productive use of their potentialities so that they can have alternative source of income.Earlier, Mr Umar Tramboo and the members of the delegation accompanying him, including some Psychiatrists, informed the Chief Minister about the menace of the drug abuse in Kashmir and the steps needed to be taken to control it.
They called for constitution of an over-arching body like Special Drug Control Cell to deal with the menace of drug abuse in the State, before it assumes dangerous proportions. They also stressed the need for revamping of the J&K Pharmacy Council to make it more effective, as according to the delegation, the process for issuance of the drug licenses needs to be made more stringent.They informed the Chief Minister that some top private educational institutions in the city have become hubs of drug abuse. Quoting instances, the delegation members said that during counseling session at a top private educational institute, out of 180 students of a single class, 92 were found involved in drug abuse.They said that vendors outside these schools mostly act as the peddlers and most of them sell both loaded and unloaded cigarettes to the unwitting students.Quoting another instance, a member of the delegation said that during 2010 unrest, police had arrested some Bihari labourers from Anantnag who were involved in stone-pelting. On questioning, the Bihari labourers informed the police, that they were being paid by the cannabis cultivators of the area to keep police engaged in skirmishes so that the cops don’t get the time to focus on attending to crimes in the including taking action against cannabis cultivators.The Forum called for conducting a scientific survey to know the real extent of the menace in the society, upgradation of police drug de-addiction centre, special drives on regular basis by drug control department and launching massive information and education campaign to keep the youth away from the menace.The other members of the delegation included Dr Altaf Hussain (Child Specialist), Dr Mairaj-ud-Din (ex-Director SKIMS), Mr Mohammad Yasin Khan (Chairman Kashmir Economic Alliance), Mr Mohammad Ashraf Mir (President, Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir), Dr Mohammad Ishaq Gheer (Kashmir University), Mohammad Iqbal Tramboo (Businessman), Shuja-ul-Haq (Journalist), Dr Ishfaq and others.The delegation also included Psychiatrists from De-addiction Centre, Police Hospital and from SMHS Hospital.