Srinagar, July 26: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that proliferating magnitude of the problem and the changing trends in substance abuse in J&K is a point of concern that needs to be addressed urgently and scientifically.
While addressing the party’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) committee meeting here which was chaired by senior leader and former finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather, Omar said the easy availability of opioids, sedatives, cannabis, and stimulants is a matter of great concern and it is impossible to keep the youth away from these until some concrete steps are taken.
“Substance abuse is not limited to any particular gender; it is rampant among both men and women. The trend of using drugs and other narcotic drugs among the youth has increased to an alarming level, but preventive measures at the government level are missing. The graph of crimes due to substance abuse is also witnessing a sharp increase and the cases of murder, theft and robbery by drug addicts are also increasing,” he said adding, “National Conference is ready to give full cooperation and support in every effort aimed at eradicating substance abuse and addiction from J&K.”
Earlier, WADA Committee Chairman Abdul Rahim Rather briefed the participants about the previous proceedings of WADA committee and the reports submitted by the committee subgroups. “We are aware of the magnitude of the problem and also realise how JKNC can play a defining role in curbing this menace. Currently, we are engaged in compiling a comprehensive report based on the reports submitted by committee members. We will present the final report to party leadership soon,” he said.
A representative from the World Health Organization (WHO) gave a powerpoint presentation about the dimension of this problem in our society, the party said in a statement, adding that the representatives of a local NGO Team Red also attended the meeting and offered to assist the efforts of J&K National Conference in the war against drugs.
Exhorting the committee members and representatives of the World Health Organization and Team Red, Omar said, “I am sure that the underway deliberations by the WADA manifest some possible solutions that could be taken up by community, friends and society to eradicate this problem.”
Later, while briefing the media, Committee Chairman A R Rather said, “The number of drug addicts in J&K is unfortunately exponentially high and if we don’t act then we are in danger of losing the next generation.”
As per the official figures, a staggering 2.8 percent of Kashmir’s population is involved in substance abuse, the former minister said. Realising the magnitude of the problem, National Conference being the premier political party, announced an all-out war against this menace. In this regard, the party constituted a committee to address the issue, he said.
