Drug menace has reached an alarming proportion in Jammu and Kashmir. From young adults to girls and from students to professionals, the menace has seeped deep into our society. Every day, drug peddlers are arrested, contraband substances seized, and raids conducted. Yet the cases of drug abuse are rising. Paradise on Earth seems to have become a haven for drugs. Till September 2025, 1,342 NDPS cases were registered in Jammu and Kashmir. Of which, 1,305 were challaned, leading to 142 convictions, 197 acquittals. Trials in 339 cases have been completed. Over 215 PITNDPS detentions were invoked this year. More than 220 hotspots were identified, and 44 were demolished. Over 1,350 individuals are under surveillance, and 983 CCTVs have been installed across UT. Only 71 FSL cases remained pending. Over 100 backward and forward linkages were established, resulting in the arrest of 113 individuals. Moreover, 107 trials in absentia are nearing conclusion. On the financial front, 67 investigations led to the attachment of 81 properties worth ₹16.64 crore. Nearly 99% of retail pharmacies have implemented computerized billing and CCTV surveillance systems. Over 32,000 patients have availed OPD services, and 551 new admissions were recorded in IPD facilities at de-addiction centres since January this year. Sensing the gravity of the situation, the Jammu and Kashmir government has intensified the war against drugs. Chairing the 15th Narco Coordination Centre meeting, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo called for stringent measures to curb the menace of narcotics trafficking and substance abuse. Enforcement agencies have been directed to intensify surveillance around drug hotspots, particularly near coaching centres and private educational institutions. The government has decided to map both backward and forward linkages in every case to dismantle the entire narcotic supply network. Technology has also come in handy to fight the drug menace. The government is working on an AI-enabled system that can assist in the preparation of watertight charge sheets. The war on drugs is not the responsibility of the government or law enforcement agencies alone. Society too needs to come forward to strengthen the hands of the police and other agencies to end this menace. Reporting unusual activity to the police should be part of moral responsibility. Silence is a crime in such cases. We must report the drug-related activities in our neighborhood to the police. Unless we wake up to this reality, our society is bound to be doomed. Our religious leaders, influencers, and respectable people should also play their role. Just sermonizing about the menace will not work. The drug peddlers and smugglers need to be ostracized in society. We ought to fulfill our duties as good citizens and join this battle against the drug menace. All organs of the state and society need to work in tandem to defeat the drug menace.
War on drugs
