Menace of Drugs
We all hear day in and day out about the alarming increase of drug addiction in Kashmir but we don’t take it seriously and carry on dealing with our day to day life and problems. A large number of people, whether male or female are taking drugs and have became addicted to them but no one is caring about their future. Many people don’t understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs.
They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing to. In reality, Drug addiction is a complex disease and quitting usually takes more than good intentions and a strong will. Drugs change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to.
Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control despite harmful consequences. The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, but repeated drug use can lead to brain changes that challenge an addicted person’s self control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urge to take drugs. The brain changes can be persistent, which is why drug addiction is considered a relapsing disease. People in recovery from drug use disorders are at increased risk for returning to drug use after years of not taking the drug.
The use of drugs causes brain disorders. They affect functions like learning, judgment, decision making, stress, memory loss and behavior etc. If further causes headaches, confusion, leprosy, loss of teeth and eyebrows, psychosis, dry semen, bad breath, warming of blood, destroy body organs, weaken heart etc. Drugs also instigate oneself towards forbidden practices and keep away from religious fundamentals.
Despite aware of these harmful outcomes, many people who take drugs continue to take them, which is the nature of addiction. Most of the young people use drugs because of curiosity and belief that it will reduce their problems like stress, trauma, anxiety, depression such as failed love relationships and failure in exams. The people become addicted to these drugs because of the bad company they keep, too much pocket money they possess, lack of parental guidance and easy availability of drugs.
In Kashmir cases of drug abuse went from more than 14,500 cases in 2014 to 33,222 in 2016, a staggering increase of 130% in two years. In year 2017, alone up to April the number of drug addicts was 13,352. A United Nations International Drug Control Programme Survey in 2008 estimated 70,000 drug addicts in Kashmir out of which 4000 were women.
Before some days, when I was scrolling my feed on Facebook, a video caught my eye which was from Zakura area of Srinagar City in which a nice person was showing a Hookah(Jajeer) like structure which was used by youths to take different kinds of drugs. The person was appealing to all parents to take serious care of their children. My heart felt very much pained after going through this clip. The clip had got over one lakh views but it was all of no means. The people nowadays enjoy such clips and skip very quickly.
The people have erased the name of humanity from their lives. The people have lost the true means of Kashmiriyat. Kashmiriyat is full of love, care, attention, support, brotherhood but unfortunately we are gradually losing each pillar of Kashmiriyat. I got really happy when people of Qazigund area of Kashmir made Kashmiriyat proud by adopting and bearing all the expenses of the children of a Pandit family whose lost their parents in two years.
I really appreciate and feel proud to such a good step but at the same time I really feel angry and disheartened to my Kashmiri people, when they see ongoing destruction of the future of Kashmir and they act as mute spectators. The youths are the future of Kashmir. When the youths will get destroyed mentally and physically then obviously our future will also get destroyed. Our future generations would be drug addicted, how come this is possible that the future of Kashmir will be bright. Our silence and carelessness is leading us to a tale of destruction.
It’s the high time to save our future from destruction. Our Islamic organizations, NGO’s and common people should come forward and become united leaving aside all the ideological differences to curb this ongoing drug addiction.
I really appreciate the step taken by Minhajul Quran International, Anantnag by starting a campaign against Drug addiction. They are conducting programmes at different schools and tuition centres to educate students about the ill effects of drug addiction. We all should come forward voluntarily and become a part of life saving of the youths.
Some families of Kashmir cultivate huge cannabis and poppy for money. They have made this practice as a source of money for them but they don’t know doing this will lead them to the severe punishment from Allah. This money is all Haram. No doubt, these people are rich in wealth & roam in luxury cars but they can never live a happy and peaceful life because they are killing & ruining the lives of others. Allah deprived these people of any blessings in their lives & will never leave such people unpunished who spoiled the lives of others.
The parents of youth have a special role and responsibility in this regard. They should be very much careful about the activities of their children. They should be given adequate amount of money and should be enquired about the time they spent outside. They should check the company of their friends and also enquire about their friends.
I remember a famous saying about our company, like our friends and other people with whom we spend our time
“Sohbat E Saleh Turah Saleh Kunad,
Sohbat E Taleh Turah Taleh Kunad”
If we keep the good company then we too will become good, If we keep the bad company then we too will become bad.
I conclude with the words that drug addiction is gradually destroying the future of Kashmir and we need to prevent the future of Kashmir. The need of the hour is that all Islamic organizations, NGO’s and common people should come forward and organize awareness camps so that people know the ill effects of drugs.
The police should also act strongly against drug peddlers and we too should guide those families who cultivate drugs in their lands and guide them about ill effects of drugs. The easy availability of drugs in market needs to be checked and we too should do our level best to prevent easy availability of drugs.
(The author is a Freelance Writer. He can be reached at [email protected])
KV Correspondent
