[ad_1]
Last year, News18 exclusively reported how Kashmir saw a 2000% rise in drug abuse cases. (Representative photo/Getty Images)
A government survey report, accessed exclusively by News18, shows that at least 2.8% of the total population of Kashmir are drug users, with 52,404 drug dependents.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will soon start operations from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). News18 has learned that the agency has written to the state government requesting space and other facilities to set up its first office in the Valley.
This will be NCB’s second unit in J&K State. NCB, the nodal agency on drug law enforcement issue in India, started its operation from Jammu in the year 2020.
Senior officers told News 18 that the decision to form the unit was taken in the wake of the rise in drug abuse cases in the state and the increase in their manpower in the state.
Deputy Director General (Operations) Sanjay Kumar Singh confirmed that the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has been contacted and the agency is likely to start operations from Srinagar soon.
If all goes well and on time, operations are likely to begin within a few weeks. “We are planning to increase our presence in the region given the increase in the number of cases and seizures in the state,” said another official.
Last year, News18 exclusively reported how Kashmir saw a 2000% rise in drug abuse cases. While in 2016 the Center for Oral Alternative Therapy (OST) at Government Medical College, Srinagar reported only 489 cases, in 2017 the number increased seven times to 3,000.
In 2019 the number jumped to 7,000 and crossed the 10,000 mark in 2021 with an overall rise of 2,000% in just five years.
In July 2022, a survey was conducted for the first time on drug use in all 10 districts of Kashmir.
The survey was conducted by the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHNS), Government Medical College, Srinagar, in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and the Directorate of Health.
The survey report, accessed exclusively by News18, stated that at least 2.8% of the total population of Kashmir are drug users, with 52,404 drug dependents.
The report said that 95% of drug addicts are heroin abusers. The survey also found that the average age of heroin initiation in Kashmir is 22.
In March this year, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar also chaired a district level committee meeting of the Drug Coordination Center (NCORD) to review the actions taken and formulate the future course of action to root out the drug menace and drug trade from Srinagar.
The Ministry of Interior has set up a four-level coordination mechanism for stakeholders nationwide from the grassroots to the top level, and effectively combat the drug threat.
Apex NCORD, Executive NCORD, State NCORD, and District NCORD are the four pillars of the mechanism. In addition to this four-tiered structure, NCORD’s monthly meetings are chaired by the General Manager of NCB with the aim of bringing together all agencies on the supply and demand side and minimizing damage under one umbrella.
[ad_2]
