Jammu, February 5: The Health and Medical Education Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Sakina Ittoo, announced on Thursday that the state government will present a bill related to drug abuse during the current assembly session.
The minister informed the assembly that the regulations for drug addiction treatment have been finalized and sent to the law department for review.
She revealed that since 2022, a staggering 49,276 cases of drug abuse have been recorded in the region.
During her address, Sakina Ittoo confirmed that the bill is ready and will be introduced in the assembly this session.
She noted that NC legislator Tanveer Sadiq previously highlighted the need for a bill that mandates education on the adverse effects of drug addiction in schools.
Tanveer Sadiq mentioned that he withdrew the bill based on assurances from the government.
The minister emphasized that the government is in the process of finalizing the addiction treatment regulations.
She added that the treatment rules have been prepared and submitted to the law department for further examination.
Additionally, the minister reported that there have been 49,276 cases of drug abuse recorded in Jammu and Kashmir since 2022, with 16,759 cases in Kashmir and 32,517 in Jammu.
In recent years, drug use has surged in Jammu and Kashmir. According to official figures shared by the central government in Parliament, nearly 1 million individuals in the region are affected by substance abuse, accounting for about 8% of the total population. On August 4, 2023, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment informed that approximately 1.35 million drug users are estimated in Jammu and Kashmir, with most aged between 18 and 75.
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