Jammu, June 29 -- A separate 2023 survey conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir administration further underscores the crisis, particularly in the Kashmir Valley. According to the findings, more than 52,000 individuals admitted to regular heroin use, spending an average of Rs.88,000 per month to sustain their addiction, highlighting the economic and social toll of the epidemic.
The region's rehabilitation infrastructure is grossly inadequate to meet the growing demand. Jammu and Kashmir has only two government-run de-addiction centres in Srinagar, while Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) in district hospitals offer limited outpatient services. Experts say the lack of long-term residential facilities and trained counselors is compounding the...