Ground reports indicate major behavioural shift
Sharp rise in addicts turning to treatment centres
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 5: What was once hidden behind closed doors, whispered about in communities and often ignored by families is now increasingly being confronted head-on across Jammu and Kashmir with the 100-day Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir campaign launched by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha yielding encouraging results on the ground and triggering a remarkable increase in the number of drug addicts registering themselves at Government Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs), private de-addiction facilities and Government-run rehabilitation centres across the Union Territory.
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As per the reports gathered by EXCELSIOR from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir, drug addicts are now arriving in unprecedented numbers-ranging from school and college students to Government employees, unemployed youth and commercial vehicle operators-with treatment centres witnessing one of the sharpest increases in registrations in recent years and this reflects a significant shift in attitude towards addiction and recovery.
What has made the campaign stand out, according to those involved in the treatment process, is the unprecedented level of community participation, both in urban and rural areas, with people viewing drug addiction not as an individual’s problem but as a collective social concern requiring intervention and support.
Almost all Government and private de-addiction facilities in Jammu district contacted by EXCELSIOR reported a sharp rise in the registration of drug addicts, although the increase varied across centres and clinics. The doctors and counselors in these centres and clinics described the trend as one of the most encouraging outcomes of the ongoing 100-day Nasha Mukt J&K campaign.
Dr Manu Arora, Head of Department of Psychiatry at the Government Psychiatric Diseases Hospital, Jammu, said that the institution has witnessed a noticeable increase in the number of drug addicts approaching its treatment facilities since the launch of the 100-day Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir campaign. He said people from different age groups and backgrounds are increasingly seeking professional help for de-addiction and rehabilitation.
Dr Arora said that a majority of the fresh addicts approaching the hospital belong to the 18-30 age group, with heroin emerging as the most commonly abused substance among them. He added that the hospital has also witnessed an increase in the number of people approaching doctors and counselors to seek information about treatment and rehabilitation facilities, indicating growing awareness about de-addiction services.
In several areas such as Pogal Paristan in Ramban district and Dachhan in Kishtwar people have virtually compelled the families of addicts to take them for treatment. Earlier, parents and relatives would often hide the problem due to social stigma. Now, community members themselves are approaching families and urging them to seek treatment and counseling emphasising that professional intervention is the only way forward.
“This change in social attitudes is proving to be a game changer”, said doctors and counselors attending addicts in various de-addiction facilities.
“Earlier, we used to see a new addict in the OPD once in several days, but now the number has multiplied several times. Every day, around 10 new patients report for treatment. More importantly, many of them are coming voluntarily after realizing that addiction is destroying not only their lives but also their families”, said Dr Sunpreet Singh, deployed at Addiction Treatment Facility (ATF) Ramban.
Similarly, the Medical Officer at the Addiction Treatment Facility (ATF), Kishtwar, Dr Harris Masood described the trend as one of the most positive developments witnessed in recent years.
“We are witnessing an increase in registrations. There is greater awareness about treatment facilities and people no longer view the ATF with the same hesitation as before. Families are bringing addicts for counseling and treatment at much earlier stages than earlier,” he said, adding that people from far-flung areas such as Dachhan are also approaching the facility for treatment.
The Counselors at these ATFs said, “the facilities were available, but awareness was lacking. Many people, especially in far-flung areas, either did not know where to go or underestimated the devastating impact of drug addiction. The ongoing campaign has bridged this information gap”.
Another important factor, as per the reports received from different districts, driving addicts towards treatment is the shrinking availability of narcotic substances following intensified anti-drug operations by law-enforcement agencies.
“The supply chains have come under tremendous pressure because of sustained police action. Many chronic addicts who previously had easy access to drugs are now finding it difficult to procure narcotics. They understand that continuing addiction without access to drugs can push them into severe withdrawal complications. As a result, many are choosing treatment and rehabilitation”, an owner of private de-addiction clinic in Kunjwani area of Jammu explained, adding several long-term addicts are now approaching treatment facilities with a sense of urgency.
“Many patients openly tell us that they want to quit because drugs are no longer easily available and they do not want to spend the rest of their lives chasing addiction. They are beginning to realize that treatment offers them a chance to return to normal life, restore family relationships and regain their dignity”, said owner of de-addiction centre at Karan Bagh.
No doubt recovery is a long process requiring sustained medical care, counseling and family support. However, the growing willingness of addicts to seek treatment is a major breakthrough in the fight against substance abuse, Dr Tayeb Khan of Addiction Treatment Facility Doda said, adding the most encouraging aspect is the transformation taking place at the societal level.
With de-addiction centres witnessing increasing footfall and communities actively participating in identifying and helping addicts, authorities believe Jammu and Kashmir may be witnessing the early signs of a significant social movement against drug abuse–one that seeks not merely to punish addiction but to cure it and bring those trapped in its grip back into the mainstream of life.
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