Rise in drug addiction, mental health crises among J&K youth alarming: MLA Waheed Para

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, JUNE 27 (STC): In Jammu and Kashmir over 5.4 lakh people are using opioids, 4.2 lakh consume alcohol, 1.7 lakh depend on sedatives, 1.4 lakh use cannabis, and 1.35 lakh are addicted to inhalants. This official data was repeated by the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Pulwama, Waheed Ur Rehman Para, in a statement issued to media. “What’s even more worrying is the sharp rise in the use of cocaine, amphetamines, and hallucinogens,” reads the statement.
He further pointed out that tobacco use in J&K stands at 20.8%, the sixth highest in India, and that suicides linked to substance abuse are steadily rising. “We are witnessing the slow and devastating collapse of an entire generation,” he said.
Despite this grim situation, the MLA lamented that de-addiction and mental health services remain grossly inadequate, understaffed, and inaccessible to most people, especially the youth. Calling for immediate government action, Para appealed to the Jammu & Kashmir administration, including the Lieutenant Governor, to launch a comprehensive, time-bound action plan focusing on de-addiction, mental health support in educational institutions, and youth rehabilitation programs. “This crisis can no longer be ignored. The future of our youth and the stability of Jammu and Kashmir depend on urgent and decisive intervention,” Para asserted.
He called the alarming rise in drug addiction and mental health crises among the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, a “silent epidemic”.
(STC)