Treat drug addicts as patients, not criminals: Mental health expert

Srinagar, May 7: Amid growing concerns over drug abuse among youth in Jammu and Kashmir, mental health experts and social stakeholders have intensified calls for collective action, urging parents, teachers, doctors and society at large to play a proactive role in protecting the younger generation from falling prey to substance abuse.
Mental health experts believe that awareness, emotional support and timely guidance are essential in preventing youth from drifting toward addiction.
Dr Nizam ud Din, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Medical College Hospital, Bemina, said society must change the way it views people struggling with addiction.
He said individuals affected by substance abuse should be treated as patients in need of care, counselling and rehabilitation rather than being isolated or stigmatised.
“Addiction is a medical and psychological condition. Such individuals require support, treatment and social acceptance. Isolation and humiliation only worsen their condition,” Dr Nizam ud Din said.
He called for stronger action against drug trafficking networks and urged authorities to focus on stopping the inflow of narcotics into the region at its source. “The lack of parental engagement, peer pressure, social isolation and easy availability of drugs are among the major factors contributing to rising addiction cases among youth,” he said.
The psychiatrist advised parents to maintain open communication with their children, monitor behavioural changes, encourage healthy activities and seek professional help whenever necessary.
He urged teachers and educational institutions to increase awareness programmes and counselling sessions to identify vulnerable students at an early stage.
According to Dr Nizam ud Din, the enforcement measures are important; long-term success against the drug menace depends largely on community participation, rehabilitation support and awareness at the grassroots level.
“If society fails to act collectively and urgently, the growing drug crisis could severely impact the social fabric and future of the region,” he said.
He said safeguarding the younger generation is a shared responsibility and called upon people from all walks of life to actively contribute towards building a drug-free Jammu and Kashmir. (KNO)