Srinagar, May 15: Expressing serious concern over the growing substance abuse in Jammu & Kashmir, senior Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Friday called for a comprehensive public policy to safeguard the younger generation, while stressing that alcohol addiction among youth needs equal attention as narcotics.
Mir, who is AICC General Secretary and former minister, said the ongoing “100 Days Nasha Mukht Campaign” is a welcome step but any serious fight against addiction cannot remain selective in nature.
“Alcohol addiction, particularly among youth, has increasingly emerged as a major social and public health concern and therefore requires equal attention alongside narcotic substances,” Mir said in a statement here.
Referring to prohibition policies in Bihar and Gujarat, and closure of hundreds of liquor shops near religious places and schools in Tamil Nadu, Mir said there is no reason why J&K cannot begin a serious consultation process on regulating the unchecked availability of alcohol in vulnerable and sensitive areas.
He also raised concern over easy availability of cigarettes and tobacco products to minors, alleging violations of rules banning sale near educational institutions. Mir urged authorities to strictly enforce existing laws, especially around schools, colleges and religious places.
Maintaining that the issue should not be viewed merely through the lens of revenue generation, Mir said any policy must be balanced, people-centric and evolved through public consultation while keeping in view J&K’s cultural ethos.
He appealed to civil society, religious leaders, parents and youth groups to collectively build an addiction-free society, saying “the future of the younger generation must remain the foremost priority of all stakeholders.” (KNS)
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