Curbing the Drug Menace is a Collective Responsibility

Credit By: FIDA FIRDOUS

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• 16 Apr 2026

Collaboration among parents, drug addicts, NGOs, society, and the government is essential for collective efforts to combat this menace effectively

Recently launched, the Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyaan campaign again reminds us of our responsibilities. It is a comprehensively prepared initiative to combat substance abuse through outreach programs by three levels: Panchayats, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and educational institutions, ensuring extensive coverage in both rural and urban areas. This initiative is hailed by the common people of Kashmir, who are participating in these rallies. 

The influence of this initiative will have a direct impact on society because it involves parents, teachers, health workers, and all other departments through community engagement. It includes the launch of a 100-day intensive campaign on April 9, 2026, flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha through a mega "Padyatra" (foot march) from MA Stadium in Jammu, aiming to involve all sections of society and address the legal, criminal, and rehabilitation aspects of the drug issue.

The government is taking community-oriented efforts involving grassroots people to eradicate drug abuse in India and in Kashmir. This is the time for us to expose addicts in our localities. Simply put, you use, you lose! The primary role in curbing the drug menace depends on parents. 

Parents’ role is crucial as they are the first to witness drug addiction and can be the primary source for reporting and further collaboration. Drug menace, drug trafficking, and drug addiction are not just medical issues but also social problems which, if not curbed at an early stage, often lead to unbelievable social crimes.

There can be many reasons for drug addiction, which should not be our focus for discussion. What we need to focus on is curbing drugs and their trafficking in all forms. As responsible parents at home, we can supervise our child. Home is the first place where things can grow, good or bad, so the father is the first supervisor to watch over his child. There are many cases where parents, especially mothers, do not reveal their child’s drug addiction at home due to the honour of the family or reputation.

Parents can be a helping hand in many aspects concerning their child. If a child is not disclosing his connection with drugs and is involved in drug use, his behaviour and appearance change; get irritated quickly, seeks solitude, and mental confusion is also common among other symptoms. It is the responsibility of parents to observe and report to a doctor whenever they can confirm that their child is using drugs. 

Similarly, school, college, and university teachers, besides teaching routine subjects, should also report irregularity, long absences, or peculiar behavioural changes of students to their parents. Coordination between parents and teachers plays an important role in shaping and keeping our young generation guided through supervision and monitoring, which is the first and easiest step we can take.

Notably, drug-addicted individuals are not homeless, parentless, or isolated without parental care and supervision. The inevitable question is, do we supervise our teens? Do we take an interest in their lives? Do we check their fields? Do we fulfil our responsibilities towards our teenagers? Do we put effort into correcting our children when they are wrong, and how exactly do we do that? At the same time, we should not spoil our children either. These are important points we must keep in mind.

Besides collaboration between parents, teachers, and the government, it is important to clarify key measures for addressing drug addiction. Strict rules need to be imposed, and drug consumers and traffickers should be treated equally with severe punishment rather than focusing solely on rehabilitation. 

Intelligence sharing among state and central agencies must be improved to effectively crack down on drug networks. Empowering the Indian Army, BSF, and state revenue officials to assist in drug-related investigations, focusing on dismantling entire drug supply networks, and developing specialised investigative skills within enforcement agencies are crucial steps.

Enforcing tough legal punishments with fast-track trials is also essential. Additionally, collaboration with education and health departments, as well as NGOs, to raise awareness, especially among youth, is vital in combating drug addiction.

Experts emphasise the role of prevention and legal reforms in curbing the drug menace. Parents must set clear rules, spend quality time, and maintain open communication with their children about drug risks to build resilience against peer pressure. Legal recommendations include lowering the NDPS Act’s small quantity threshold and shifting the burden of proof to the accused to strengthen prosecution. 

Strategic measures call for identifying drug hotspots, establishing joint task forces with statutory powers, declaring drug use a public emergency, involving local governance in awareness programs, mobilising political support, and amending laws to impose stricter penalties on trafficking and political involvement.

Last but not least, we need to understand the nexus between drug suppliers and addicts. In Kashmir, drugs usually come through the borders via infiltration, similar to the infiltration of terrorists. Drugs can be controlled through multiple ways, but if it transforms into narco-terrorism, then it will be devastating.   

(The Author is a columnist and can be reached at: Fidafirdous8@gmail.com)