Srinagar, June 27 -- The data, released by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, should serve as a deafening alarm bell for the J&K administration. Children as young as 12 are now undergoing counselling for hard drug addiction. Inhalants, opioids, sedatives, and even stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines are used by youth, reportedly at schools and even in playgrounds.

Yet, we are nowhere near mounting the kind of urgent, large-scale response this crisis demands. Although the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) exists, the implementation in J&K remains half-hearted and patchy. De-addiction centres are understaffed and ill-equipped. Similarly, rehabilitation facilities are few and o...