Srinagar, July 31 -- The boy in front of me looked about sixteen. His school shoes were scuffed, his uniform shirt hung loose from his shoulders. He didn't say a word as he sat down across from me.

His mother stood behind him, holding a plastic bag with some clothes. Her hands didn't stop shaking.

The boy had been using heroin for over a year. That morning, he had collapsed on their kitchen floor.

I work at a drug de-addiction facility in Kashmir. I've met hundreds of boys like him. They arrive with hollow cheeks and infected veins. Their parents often carry guilt on their faces, as if their love failed.

What used to be a rare tragedy in Kashmir has turned into a daily reality. We are watching an entire generation slide into addiction...