Opinion | Drug Menace in J&K and Steps Taken by the Government Agencies to Eradicate the Problem

The drug problem in Jammu and Kashmir was driven by narco-terror and posed a significant challenge. Although the government responded with a serious, multi-faceted plan, the people felt some relief.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has long faced a threat not only to individual lives but also to its social fabric from the widespread problem of drug abuse. While drug abuse is a concern nationwide, in Jammu and Kashmir, it has been particularly severe in its intensity, geographical spread, and its alarming connection to narco-terrorism.

The vulnerability of Jammu and Kashmir has increased, mainly due to its geostrategic location near Pakistan and regions of South and Central Asia. Central Asia has long-established illicit drug networks, making it an easy conduit for heroin, opium, and synthetic drug trafficking. Following the sudden decline of open militancy in the region after 2010, anti-national forces re-evaluated their strategies. They increasingly targeted narcotics as a silent weapon to demoralise Kashmiri society from within and to fund terror groups. This toxic combination of drugs and terrorism, known as narco-terrorism, has transformed the drug issue in J&K from a mere public health concern into a serious national security challenge.

In several high-profile raids, crores of heroin have been traced directly to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, through well-organised smuggling networks on both sides of the Line of Control. These networks, using local collaborators, often combine drug smuggling with weapons infiltration, making each packet of drugs not only a health hazard but also a weapon against peace. In several high-profile raids, crores of heroin have been traced directly to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba through well-organised smuggling networks on both sides of the Line of Control. These networks, using local collaborators, often combine drug smuggling with weapons infiltration, making each packet of drugs not only a health hazard but also a weapon.

This menace has caused a significant human cost, with an alarming social and human toll during this epidemic. An estimated 1 million people in Jammu and Kashmir are addicted to some substance, which may represent about 8% to 10% of the population. The Kashmir Valley has seen a sharp rise in intravenous heroin use, with over 33,000 syringes being used every day, according to data from the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), Srinagar.

The consequences are severe: a 72% Hepatitis C infection rate among IV users, increasing overdose deaths, deteriorating mental health, broken families, and more youth engaging in street crime. Even more concerning, many affected individuals are in their prime years, 17 to 33, making this not just an addiction crisis but a catastrophe of lost potential.

The Government’s Multi-Layered Response includes:

Recognising the severity and danger of the drug threat, the Central and UT governments have launched a comprehensive, multi-faceted campaign that includes enforcement, awareness, treatment, and community rehabilitation.

Since 2018, over 1.12 lakh kilograms of narcotics have been seized, including heroin, charas, and opium. Nearly 10,000 arrests have been made under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Properties of leading drug peddlers have been confiscated, and 463 preventive detention orders have been issued in the past year alone. Major crackdowns, such as the 2025 charge sheet by the State Investigation Agency (SIA), revealed how 46 kg of heroin was smuggled into Kashmir to fund terror operations by Pakistan-backed networks. These seizures are not isolated incidents; they are the result of the systematic and persistent efforts of the state to dismantle the narco-terror nexus.

Perhaps as important is the destruction of the source. Acres of fields where poppy and cannabis, the raw material for narcotics, have been grown have been destroyed in the last two years, mainly in the South Kashmir districts of Pulwama, Anantnag, and Shopian. Drone mapping and satellite monitoring are being employed to identify illegal cultivation even in the remotest areas.

Though enforcement remains vital, the government also recognizes that policing alone cannot solve social and health crises. Therefore, the agenda has expanded to include treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration. By early 2025, 20 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) are operational in the Union Territory — 11 in Kashmir and 9 in Jammu. Outpatient services are available in all districts, and inpatient services have been launched in all nine Government Medical Colleges. Between 2020 and 2024, over 83,000 people have been treated, according to the J&K Health Department.

As a supplement to human resources, 25 medical officers were trained at NIMHANS, Bengaluru, and deployed to district hospitals to provide specialised care. Central schemes have supported the establishment of Integrated Rehabilitation Centres (IRCs), Outreach and Drop-In Centres (ODICs), and District De-Addiction Centres (DDACs) to ensure continuous care.

Technology is also being used. The government has launched the national helpline 14446, along with Tele-MANAS — a tele-mental health platform providing psychological counselling to drug abusers and their families, especially in remote and conflict-affected areas.

As part of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA), J&K has conducted a record number of awareness and outreach activities among citizens. Over 19,000 awareness programmes have been held at schools, colleges, panchayats, and municipalities. Nearly 940 panchayats and municipalities have been certified as drug-free based on strict criteria.

The reach is extensive — including teachers, parents, local leaders, and religious figures. In June 2025, 30 Imams attended a special sensitisation session with IMHANS doctors and agreed to incorporate anti-drug messages into their sermons. Learning initiatives such as the NAVCHETNA module and teacher training under the Ministry of Social Justice have brought drug education into schools.

Youth clubs and colleges have organized street plays, debates, marathons, and drug-free pledges, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of students. Peer education is being promoted, and student participation and community policing have become the main pillars of the prevention campaign in Budgam.

Rehabilitation is not solely about detoxification; social reintegration is equally crucial. Civil society, NGOs, and the private sector have taken active roles in this process. For instance, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kashmir (CCIK) has partnered with J&K Police through an MoU to facilitate employment opportunities for recovered drug addicts, helping them regain dignity and construct a livelihood. Additionally, NGOs conduct sports therapy, vocational training, and family counselling programs to support sustained recovery.

Moving towards a Nasha Mukt Bharat, tackling the drug epidemic in Jammu and Kashmir is a significant challenge. However, the state’s strategy, melding law enforcement, healthcare, education, and public awareness, serves as a model for other vulnerable areas. Ongoing investments in infrastructure, institutional growth, and aftercare are essential. Additionally, treating addiction as a health issue addressed with compassion, proper treatment, and reintegration is crucial, rather than viewing it as a moral failing deserving stigma. If kept up, this collective effort—backed by government, civil society, and citizens- can ensure that Kashmir’s reputation is built on its resilience and capacity to heal, resist, and rejuvenate, rather than on its struggles with youth addiction.

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