Srinagar: Civil Society Forum of Kashmir appealed to Health Minister to ensure prevention and control of drug abuse at the earliest in J&K state.

In a statement issued here thousands of youths are falling prey to this menace, which further cripples the productive age group of our society. Men and women, boys and girls, as young as 10 years old, are falling prey and government is silent over the issue.

 They said even professional students have been found addicted to drugs. There was a time when we could talk of an area worst hit by drug abuse but now there are no demarcations laeft.

Every division and every district is badly affected.

Health department has fully failed society in checking and controlling free availability & sale of psychotropic drugs all over the state. Drug abuse has become a huge industry in J&K state now. Medicines worth Rs 30 are sold as high as Rs 500.Drug peddlers have an absolute free hand in the J&K state with no organized efforts to control the abuse.

Heart attack, deaths, strokes, infertility memory loss, health deterioration, psychotic behavior, brain damage, alteration in the body metabolism, intoxication of the circulatory system and damage of nervous system and the brain. The brain loses its control and produces anxiety, depression, changes in mood, insensible decisions are common and frequent results of drug abuse.

CSFK in very strong words appeals to government to control drug abuse in a professional way with the consultation of UNODC, WHO and other organizations, which are working on control of drug abuse at national and international level. At state, government should provide support in opening several well-equipped rehabilitation centers. In Valley, there are currently only two de-addiction centers one is with Psychiatric disease hospital and other is police de-addiction centre.