Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, May 24: Inside the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centre in Jammu’s Channi area-one of the largest police-run facilities of its kind in the region-stories of despair, struggle and hope unfold quietly every day.
From morning till evening, anxious parents, siblings, relatives and exhausted spouses of substance abusers wait outside consultation rooms, hoping treatment can help reclaim lives slipping deeper into addiction.
One such couple walked silently into a doctor’s room on a recent afternoon. The woman, appearing to be in her thirties, looked tired yet composed as she guided her husband towards a chair placed before the counselor-cum-medical officer.
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The young man appeared weak and restless. Speaking softly, he told the doctor that he had not slept the entire night and was feeling extremely uneasy.
The doctor listened patiently before prescribing Buprenorphine – an opioid medicine recommended by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) for the treatment of dependence on heroin and other opioid substances – along with medication to address insomnia and restlessness.
Turning towards the patient’s wife, the counselor advised her to ensure the medicines were administered properly and on time.
Hospital staff later revealed that the couple had left their infant child at home under the care of elderly parents before visiting the centre.
Even before their consultation concluded, another patient hurriedly knocked on the door.
A suspended policeman, himself battling substance abuse, entered with similar complaints of sleeplessness, anxiety and loss of appetite caused by withdrawal symptoms.
Staff members say such scenes are routine at the centre, which remains one of the largest police-run facilities of its kind in the entire Jammu Division.
The indoor facility has two wards with a capacity of 25 beds and currently houses 26 male patients. There is no separate indoor facility for women battling substance abuse, though proposals regarding the same have already been submitted to higher authorities.
“Till a decision is taken, female victims of substance abuse are being treated through the outpatient department for screening, counseling, medicines and follow-up care,” a staff member said on condition of anonymity.
Apart from women patients, several male victims of substance abuse who cannot be accommodated in the indoor facility due to space constraints also depend on the outpatient department and regularly visit the centre for follow-up consultations.
Besides the police-run centre, several private and NGO-operated rehabilitation facilities operate in Jammu. However, staff members at the police facility claim that many families prefer their centre because of stricter monitoring and a more structured treatment mechanism.
“With trust come challenges,” they say, pointing out that the waiting period for admission at the police-run centre often stretches to three to four months due to limited capacity and the rapidly rising number of substance abuse cases in the region.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, B. L. Verma informed Parliament in April 2026 that Jammu and Kashmir has nearly 13.79 lakh substance abusers. Among them, around 5.40 lakh are addicted to opioids, 3.90 lakh to alcohol, 1.70 lakh to sedatives, 1.40 lakh to cannabis, 1.35 lakh to inhalants, while smaller numbers are addicted to amphetamine-type stimulants, cocaine and hallucinogens.
The Minister also informed Parliament that 68,062 kilograms of narcotic substances were seized in the Union Territory during the last five years, with the highest seizure of 25,942 kilograms recorded in 2021.
However, lack of infrastructure is not the only challenge confronting the police-run facility. Staff shortage has also severely affected patient care.
The de-addiction and rehabilitation centre staff says the counselor-to-patient ratio at any de-addiction centre should ideally be 1:4, which means the Jammu facility should have at least five to six counselors for its existing 26 patients. However, at present, only two counselors are managing all counseling and support-related responsibilities of the patients.
Despite the shortage, staff members say they try to remain available round-the-clock for screening, counseling, medicines and emergency support.
To help patients gradually overcome dependence and prevent relapse, the centre has established a gymnasium while trained yoga instructors regularly conduct sessions for the inmates.
The staff has also approached senior police officers seeking the construction of a running track inside the facility. Requests for additional sports infrastructure and recreational activities have also been submitted to higher authorities.
Rehabilitation after discharge, however, remains a major concern.
Occasionally, some Government departments, NGOs and banks – particularly State Bank of India – organise short-term vocational and paid engagement programmes for patients.
However, staff members admit that such initiatives are not conducted regularly and believe these programmes should be organised for longer durations to ensure recovering victims do not relapse and are properly mainstreamed into society.
According to them, the absence of a structured post-discharge monitoring mechanism is one of the key reasons many victims relapse into substance abuse after days, months or even years of recovery.
Staff members claim that globally, relapse rates among substance abuse victims can reach as high as 90 percent, and the situation in the region is not significantly different. Yet, they remain hopeful that outcomes can improve with stronger infrastructure and institutional support.
They believe the fight against drug abuse must begin with cracking down on narcotics supply networks by arresting drug peddlers, dismantling kingpin networks and identifying the origin of narcotics entering the region.
They also stressed the need for sustained mass awareness campaigns, similar to those presently being promoted by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, to discourage youth from falling into drug-related activities.
Parents, they say, must remain emotionally connected with their children and encourage them to stay rooted in their culture, values and religion while giving them adequate time and attention.
Educational institutions, too, they believe, must play a proactive role in shaping responsible citizens by spreading awareness about the dangers of substance abuse from school level to colleges.
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