‘Over 98 L people reached under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 11: The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been facing significant challenges related to substance abuse as the region has 4.47 lakh opioids and 3.54 lakh alcohol users.
This information was provided in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice and Empowerment, BL Verma, in reply to an unstarred question of the National Conference MP, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, regarding the alarming rise in the drug abuse, particularly heroin addiction in the UT.
Quoting the figures revealed in the National Survey on the Extent and Pattern of Substance Use conducted by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS in the year 2018, the Union Minister claimed that J&K has 4.47 lakh opioids users (5.05%), 3.54 lakh alcohol users (4%), 1.51 lakh (1.71%) sedative users, 1.36 lakh cannabis users (1.54%), and 89,000 (1.01%) inhalant users.
Replying another question about the steps being taken or planned to increase the number of rehabilitation centers in the region, considering the overwhelmed available facilities with the patients, the Union Minister said that the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).
This comprehensive scheme, according to him, provides financial assistance to State Governments, Union Territories, and NGOs for initiatives including preventive education, capacity building, vocational training, and the establishment of addiction treatment facilities.
Under the NAPDDR, the Union Minister further said that Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) is being implemented across all districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The campaign has reached over 98 lakh individuals, including 8 lakh youth and 9 lakh women, through awareness programs,” BL Verma said.
He further informed the Parliament that the Department supports multiple rehabilitation and treatment facilities in the region, including one Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCA), three Outreach and Drop-In Centres (ODICs), two Community Peer-Led Interventions (CPLIs), five District De-Addiction Centers (DDACs), and 20 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs).
More than 31,000 people in the region received treatment for drug de-addiction during the financial year 2023-24, he said.
According to the Union Minister, a toll-free number 14446 is also maintained to provide counselling and referral services.
Over 11,000 calls have been received on this number from Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
As far as international collaboration to combat the menace of drug trafficking is concerned, the Union Minister said the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has partnered with Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2011.
The issue of drug trafficking is also addressed at international platforms, including Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Anti-Drug Cooperation Forum, SAARC Drug Offence Monitoring Desk, he said.
“These collaborative measures aim to strengthen efforts against cross-border trafficking and reduce the availability of illicit substances in the region,” claimed BL Verma, the Union MoS for Social Justice and Empowerment.
Speaking about the details of the effectiveness of Nasha Mukt Abhiyan in J&K, which was initially launched in 272 vulnerable districts, Verma said that the mission has now been extended to all the districts across India, including Jammu and Kashmir.
“These coordinated efforts emphasize the Government’s commitment to addressing the drug menace and rehabilitating those affected,” he added.
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