Family: The First Line of Defence Against Kashmir’s Drug Menace

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04 May 2026

Beyond arrests and awareness drives, it is the strength of the family that can protect a generation from the scourge of drugs

Jammu and Kashmir’s growing drug crisis is no longer a distant social concern; it is a wound spreading quietly through homes, neighbourhoods and classrooms. The scale itself is alarming. Government-backed estimates have put the number of drug users in J&K at around 10 to 13.5 lakh, while treatment centres continue to report a crushing patient load. In 2024-2025 alone, addiction treatment facilities in the Union Territory recorded nearly 7.57 lakh follow-up visits, underlining both the depth of the problem and the desperation of families seeking recovery. Young people remain the primary victims, a reality the administration itself has acknowledged. Law enforcement has stepped up action, with hundreds of arrests and thousands of cases under the NDPS Act in recent years. Awareness campaigns, helplines and de-addiction programmes are also in place. Yet the brutal truth is this: no police station, no hospital and no government order can substitute for the vigilance, warmth and moral authority of the family. The battle against drugs may involve the State, but it must begin at home. Family is where a child first learns discipline, trust, restraint and self-worth. It is also where the earliest warning signs can be noticed. Sudden withdrawal, secretive behaviour, unexplained expenses, falling academic performance and emotional instability do not appear overnight; they emerge in daily life, often in plain sight. A watchful family can detect danger before addiction hardens its grip. But families must also confront an uncomfortable truth: sometimes the home itself becomes the breeding ground for vulnerability. Research from the region points to family conflict, weak supervision, poor communication and stigma as major factors that push youth toward substance abuse or delay treatment. Silence, denial and fear of social shame have ruined many chances of early intervention. Too often, parents hide the problem until it becomes a public tragedy. What is needed, therefore, is not panic but responsible parenting. Families must speak openly to children about drugs, know their friends, monitor behavioural changes and seek professional help without shame. Love must be paired with firmness; affection with accountability. In a society under stress, the family must become a shield, not a spectator. Kashmir cannot arrest its way out of this crisis. Nor can it sermonise its way out. If the drug menace is to be curbed, every home must rise to its responsibility. The first rescue centre is not a clinic. It is the family.