Parents on substances more prone to harm their children: IMHANS

Srinagar, Sep 17: The parents who are habitual of consuming substances in Jammu and Kashmir have more tendencies to harm their children, reveals the latest study of IMHANS.
The study reveals that the parents who abuse drugs are more likely to live in homes in which relatives, friends, and strangers also use drugs, exposing children to possible emotional and physical harm.
“Additionally, children that have to be removed from such environments are more likely to engage in crime, drug use and delinquency,” reads the document.
It has also identified gender differences as huge determinants in the onset of addictive behavior, including drug abuse and has revealed that women were acutely affected by particular consequences of drug abuse, such as sexually transmitted diseases, domestic violence, in addition to being more likely to be affected by drug- facilitated crime.
The study further reveals that the drug abuse has huge impact on economy, specific population including women and children besides the public safety.
“Drug addiction also leads to increase in crime rates and violence in the society,” it reads.
The study has revealed that drug addiction also leads to drug peddling and the menace perpetuates.
“Those seeking help themselves or because of their families only represent a tip of the iceberg and there is a huge hidden population of substance users in the community who do not come to fore for various reasons,” reveals the study.
Meanwhile, in view of the alarming situation, a drug de-addiction policy has been drafted by Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) Kashmir which has suggested several measures to eradicate the menace from the society.
Notably, the NCRB 2022 report on drug abuse revealed that there was an increase by 35 percent in drug abuse cases in 2021 as compared to the cases registered in 2020.
The report had revealed that 1,222 cases under NDPS 1985 act were registered in J&K in 2020 while the number increased to 1,681 in 2021.
As already reported, J&K was placed at 5th spot in a report by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on the magnitude of substance abuse in the country.