Srinagar, Sep 28: Kashmir’s drug crisis has reached a point where neither policing alone nor awareness campaigns can carry the burden of prevention and recovery. As addiction continues to affect families and young people, religious leaders are increasingly taking the issue to the mosque pulpit—opening a new front in the fight against substance abuse.

In September, religious scholars from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, under the banner of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema, decided to expand the subjects discussed from mosques beyond conventional religious discourse to issues including drug addiction, suicide, youth distress and environmental concerns. The initiative reflects growing recognition that social problems require sustained community engagement.
The move comes amid an expanding treatment burden. The Centre said in August 2026 that J&K currently has one Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts, six District De-Addiction Centres and 21 Addiction Treatment Facilities functioning under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction.
Government data also show the scale of the wider awareness effort. More than 1.20 crore people in J&K had been sensitised under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan as of July 29, 2026, including more than 69 lakh youth and 51 lakh women. More than 8,500 Nasha Mukti Mitras had also joined the campaign.
The challenge, however, is not simply one of awareness. Addiction is a health and social problem involving prevention, early identification, medical treatment, counselling, family support, rehabilitation and reintegration.
That is where the pulpit can potentially add another layer to the response.
Religious leaders possess a reach that government agencies often cannot replicate. A Friday sermon can reach entire neighbourhoods simultaneously, speak directly to parents and young people, and challenge the stigma that frequently keeps families from seeking help.
This role is already being tested. Earlier this year, Srinagar administration organised an orientation programme for more than 100 imams and religious scholars at IMHANS to strengthen their role in combating substance abuse. During the 2026 anti-drug campaign, thousands of mosques and religious institutions also participated in awareness activities, according to the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir.
But sermons cannot substitute for treatment.
A young person struggling with opioid dependence may need medical supervision, medication-assisted treatment, psychological counselling and long-term rehabilitation. A family may need guidance on recognising dependence, managing relapse and rebuilding trust. A person returning from rehabilitation may require education, employment and social acceptance.
The government’s own expansion of treatment infrastructure points to the need for this wider approach. A Ministry of Home Affairs document said the J&K system included six District De-Addiction Centres, 21 Addiction Treatment Facilities and other community and outreach facilities, while the IMHANS Drug Treatment Clinic had recorded more than 11,000 patient visits up to February 2026.
The real strength of the pulpit, therefore, may lie not in replacing policy but in connecting policy with society.
Imams can encourage families to seek professional help instead of hiding addiction. They can challenge the social acceptance of drug use, discourage the glamorisation of narcotics and promote compassion for those seeking recovery. They can also work with doctors, counsellors, teachers, police and community organisations rather than operating in isolation.
The language matters too. Addiction should not be reduced to a moral failure. A sermon can condemn the drug trade while still treating the addicted person as someone who needs help, treatment and a path back into society.
Kashmir does not need a choice between the mosque and the medical centre, between enforcement and rehabilitation, or between policy and community action.
It needs all of them working together.
The pulpit can open the conversation. The clinic must sustain the recovery. The family must support it. And policy must make both possible.