The place of tranquil, love and eternal beauty with composed culture of shrines and other religious places of harmony known as Paradise on earth is snowed under the trauma of blurred future. The place where composed culture was representing the whole Kashmir is shattered now. Kashmir the dream place of many is going under such a social, psychological disorder which creates a headache to all from higher authorities to the ground ones. The long run armed conflicts and trauma in valley has its bad consequences always on its residents especially youngsters at large. Right now the echoed voice from all over the valley is alarming regarding the rise of drug menance culture among youngsters. Substance abuse also known as drug abuse is a patterned use of substance by any method in which the consumer uses the substance in such an amount that are neither approved nor prescribed by any medical professionals which has a long run bad impact on one’s health.

From the decades the chaotic situation In Kashmir and the ongoing unrest from past couple of years has resulted the unwanted retardation in valley which impacts the valley’s younger generation in a bad way. A recent data of the Srinagar Police Control Room's (PCR) de-addiction centre reveals that of the entire lot, most drug abusers fall in the age group of 18-35 years. While the numbers affected is very high, the patient flow at the de-addiction centre is alarmingly too. In the year 2019, 633 were registered at the PCR, which has gone up to 1,978. While 81% were male, there were over 19% females suggesting that the number of female drug abusers too is on the rise in the otherwise conservative society. Started in 2008, the PCR's de-addiction centre has treated 10,000 above abusers till date .Drug that are being consumed are Herion, opium ,morphine, brown Sugar,Marijuana ( Ganja) etc. After arms trade the drug trade is the third largest business in the world. So from above data we can imagine how the youth are affected from the prolonged socio-political unrest in valley. Now come to the data provided by UN office on drug and crime , around 70 thousand people are drug addicted alone in Kashmir division among them 31% are woman.
These days the coming cases of drug peddler arrest by police authority is at apex in Kashmir which is panic in itself. The data above revealing the increasing cases of drug consumers especially youth from 15-25 is major concerning for both authority as well as guardians. There are various factors leading the same . The ongoing turmoil is not the only reason but unemployment , peer pressure and other relationship issues are also in the line . while in the mean time these things pushed our youth towards abyss, higher authority researchers have put forth the data of teen girls are aslo being involved in this heinous deed. Due to chemical dependency in present era the traditional drugs have been replaced by new more deadly ones which I already mentioned above.
Unemployment in Kashmir can also be taken a major contributing factor towards pushing our well educated youth in this case. I don’t want to comment much on that as that is new chapter but mentioning here is important as the person feels in the state of hopelessness and helplessness and try to consumes a small amount to get rid of actual stress but in long run it makes them the prey. And even the new trend is of relationship affairs of school going students who are unable to take wise steps and fell prey to such menace. Peer pressure is also the main contributing factor towards your personality development. Studies reveal that it definitely affects your ways in which you are being surrounded with.
Now it has always been said that prevention is better than cure and to follow the same norm, I can say that it is the collective duty and responsibility of both government bodies as well as society to overcome with this situation. Parental counselling should be more focused towards their wards and parents must communicate with their children in same way to look upon their activities, create friendly environment so that they can share things with you in a flexible way. Educational institutions should also take their responsibility to aware students with modern trends and organize such programs on personality development and drug de-addiction ones . Our valley being of muslim majority has its blessings in many ways and one is our religious preachers , they should morally aware public about its consequences and the religious perspective as well. And finally I can focuss more that govt. should now look in the matter with serious note and should stop the trafficking of such drugs in valley. The police and other centres should be more vigiliant to cope up with such situation in valley so that we can save this generation from such a heinous deed and we can prosper towards the bright future.

The writer is currently pursuing bachelor’s Hon's in political science at AMU
Email:------aheemulislam9@gmail.com