Drug addiction

Sir,
This has reference to the editorial’Drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres”HC grants last opportunity to Govt for filing definite action plan'(DE, Jan 06,2020).Drug addIction is one of the challenges the world is fraught with.It is not uncommon to read news of many youth falling prey to drugs and unfortunately dying a painful death because of overdose or severe addiction leaving for their parents a life full of sorrow and grief. Moreover, there are reports of drug peddlers being arrested almost daily in the newspapers.Though the drug addicts can be treated like any other disease by the process of deaddiction which involves many measures, very few people go the deaddiction centres due to lack of awareness or for fear of social stigma attached with drug addiction.Thus, this malaise keeps on assuming alarming proportions in the society.The fact that ‘In the affidavit filed on behalf of the Health and Medical Education Department on 26th September, 2019 , it is stated that about two lakh persons in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir need urgent professional help so far as drug deaddiction is concerned’ speaks volume about the enormity of the problem.Therefore,there is urgent need to create massive awareness in the youth about the harmful effects of drug addiction and frame a definite plan to root out this problem.As this malaise is spreading its tentacles with each passing day, it is imperative that drug de-addiction and Rehabilitation Centres in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir are established in good number to provide counselling to the drug addicts and give them proper treatment.
Alongwith it,a mass movement with strong participation of the youth and the women needs to be launched.Holding seminars, debates, rallies, skits,awareness camps, etc in the educational institutions, hospitals, community halls, public places etc. can also help a lot in checking this menace.It is also wise to invite the people/celebrities who gave up taking drugs and who have started leading a normal life to such programmes to serve as an example to the drug addicts that they can deaddict themselves and lead a normal life.Films showing harmful effects of drugs and the ways to avoid these drugs should be screened at Block and District level.
Moreover, more and more youth should be involved in games and other fitness programmes such as Yoga and Meditation by providing playgrounds and Yoga and Meditation centres at block level so that they keep themselves away from drugs.
Ashok Sharma,
Housing Colony, Udhampur

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