The drug trade is considered to be one of the largest business in the world. The main drugs are heroin, opium, cocaine, marijuana etc. Drug addiction, commonly called as substance use disorder (SUD) is a psychological disorder that directly affects a person’s neuro-biology and leads to the inability to control the use of any legal or illegal drug. According to National Institutes of Health (NIH), drug addiction is defined as a long term disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking, continued use despite detrimental consequences, and long lasting changes in the brain. Valley, in the recent years has become a drug abuse hotspot in the country. According to the latest census, 63% of the valley’s male residents are under the age of 30 and 70% are below the age of 35. This youth is mostly unemployed (twice the national average) but to the large scale drug abuse misleading them to darkness. A nexus of cross border politics and blood money is the deep rooted cause of such drug abuse and social degradation in the valley. Narco-terrorism is emerging as one of the biggest challenges in the area. Using drugs as a major financing tool in Kashmir, not only the youth are falling into an abyss but also the social fabric. Youth of valley who has been a victim of such drug abuse and social degradation, is nothing less than a ripe target for subversion.

Recent survey reveals that approximately 70% students in the valley are drug addicts. 90 % of these abusers belong to the age between 17 to 35 years. Over the years the drug abuse pattern has touched new horizons. Young age group has taken on to alternative cheaper means of drug abuse that includes nail polish, whitener, shoe polish etc. Also charas has become a social norm in mehfils. Other substances include codeine phosphate, brown sugar and prescription drugs like alprax. According to International Bureau of Narcotics (IBN), the transit route of drugs in the valley is due to its geographical location termed as the Golden Crescent (comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran). The most common narcotics that flow through the Golden Crescent is heroin followed by opium. The two main militancy inflicted areas Sopore and South Kashmir are also the worst hit drug abuse areas. Prolonged militancy has been fuelled by drug usage and the illicit supply chain by Pakistan. Social activists in the region believe that it is a big underground narcotic nexus that targets youth and children. The big players have been identified by various think tanks and they mostly point towards the targeted influx of narcotics across the Line of Control from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Forensic reports of apprehended criminals/terrorists have shown a striking correlation with drugs obtained from POK. Also infiltration into the valley is another means of drug influx in the area. Recently, on 19 Jun 2021, a joint operation by J&K Police, 3 RAJPUT and 53 Bn BSF had busted a narco-terror module in Bandi, Uri. The officers learnt that the said arms/ammunition & contraband substance (Heroin) was received from across the LoC to provide aid to the terror outfits in J&K. In just three years, Kashmir has witnessed 1500% increase in drug abuse. Most of the drugs coming from Pakistan are sold in Kashmir while a portion is being transported to other states such as Punjab. The people of Kashmir are led to dig their own graves while the finance generated by Pakistan is used to employ these very youth into anti national activities ranging from stone pelting to fidayeen attacks. The Kashmir issue for Pakistan was never about integrating Kashmir to develop the area and live in harmony. After repeated embarrassment from India in the past conflicts, proxy war by Pakistan has now taken the lowest of standards; to incapacitate the innocent youth of their dreams/ aspirations and join terrorism with a facade of religion and Jihad. Ideas of the failures of government, unemployment and poverty and Hindu-Muslim polarity are fed into the minds of the youth to generate distrust for the nation.
India’s strategic location places it amid two largest sources of illicit drugs in South Asia- Golden Crescent (Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran) on the northwest and the infamous Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos) on the northeast. The Golden Crescent has become one of the most important opium-producing centers of the world. Afghanistan has become the world's largest opium producer and exporter. The country accounted for 7% of total world demand, for an estimated 150,000 users in 2008 (rising to 200,000-250,000 in 2009). After the withdrawal of Russian forces from Afghanistan, the financial support for the Mujahedeen started crumbling. As a result, the local rebel commanders jumped into the opium business, which was also profitable for cultivators. Since then, the Durand Line has been booming with cross border trade of opium and other drugs. The smugglers of Pakistan sell the drugs in the country while a major portion is further pumped into India across the Line of Control and International boundary. Further ahead, one of the two road links between Kashmir and mainland India, the Banihal- Ramban National Highway is a major route for the drug mafia that has connections to Pakistan based smugglers. Awareness programmes must be laid out all across Kashmir by the NGOs and Government agencies. Indian Army, due to its efficiency in dealing with Information Warfare, can be tasked to do the same. Rehabilitation and de-addiction centers must be opened for the public so that the parents and family members can help their wards resume their normal life. This is the sole responsibility of the State Government. Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 must be more robust than ever. It will help the executive bodies to seize illicit drugs and peddlers. Also Public Safety Act should be tightened up in drug affected areas. Search operations on traffic check-posts and suspected houses should be carried out aggressively by the local police and security forces to apprehend the traffickers. This will also place fear among peddlers and traffickers to operate in the area.