Drug addiction in Kashmir is ravaging its communities differently. A region long known for its political unrest and conflict is now facing an epidemic of drug addiction. Once the center of protests and political strife, today the region grapples with a crisis that threatens to consume entire families, particularly its youth. The stark reality of this epidemic paints a tragic picture of how heroin has become an escape for many in this troubled land, leaving a devastating impact in its wake.
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Heroin Addiction: A Growing Epidemic
In Kashmir, heroin use has exploded to such an extent that it now threatens to overshadow the region’s long history of conflict. With 33,000 syringes used daily, the scale of the epidemic is staggering. Heroin has become the drug of choice, and it’s young people—some as young as 12 years old—who are falling victim to this poison. Drug abuse has reached epidemic proportions, creating a grim reality where entire families are destroyed, their livelihoods drained as all their earnings are funneled into feeding the addiction.
Rohana Jabin, an outreach campaigner working with a government-supported agency, is one of the many on the frontlines of this battle. Every day, she encounters families torn apart by the addiction. She recounts harrowing stories of domestic violence, women with bruises and burn marks inflicted by their addicted husbands. “Children are suffering,” she explains, as addicts neglect their responsibilities, leaving their families in financial ruin.
Children and the Spread of Intravenous Drug Use
The epidemic is not just limited to adults. Children as young as 15 are injecting heroin, a reality that has led to a rise in cases of hepatitis C. In some areas, infection rates are as high as 17% due to the sharing of infected needles. Outreach worker Ashik Tarou recounts meeting a 15-year-old boy already testing positive for hepatitis C, highlighting the disturbing spread of intravenous drug use among the youth.
What makes the situation even more tragic is that these young addicts are often the same people who once participated in the region’s protests. For many, heroin has become an escape from the trauma of living in a conflict zone, where loss, violence, and instability have been part of their daily lives.
Escaping Trauma: The Case of Iqbal Khan
Iqbal Khan, a young man whose life was deeply affected by the Kashmir conflict, offers a heartbreaking example of how heroin has become a coping mechanism. After taking part in the violent protests following the killing of a militant leader in 2016, Iqbal turned to heroin to escape the trauma. Like many others, he saw heroin as a way to numb the pain and the chaos around him. “Heroin helped me run away from the crisis that was unfolding here,” he admits.
His father, Rasheed Khan, brought him to a rehabilitation center after realizing the severity of his son’s addiction. Iqbal’s childhood dreams of pursuing a career in music were shattered, replaced by a dangerous habit that almost took his life. Now in recovery, he longs to return to the life he once knew, but the road to rehabilitation is long and painful.
Rehabilitation Centers Struggling to Cope
While there are efforts to help, the resources in Kashmir are woefully inadequate to meet the demand. The region’s largest addiction treatment center in Srinagar is overwhelmed, with 250 patients coming in daily. Most of these patients are addicted to heroin, and the staff is struggling to provide the care they need. There is a desperate shortage of psychologists to help with the mental health challenges that come with addiction, making recovery even more difficult.
Dr. Sajid Muhammad Wani, who works at the center, notes that the patients they treat today are using far more dangerous drugs than before. Heroin, with its high cost, has created a black market that only fuels the addiction further. The lack of resources, combined with the mental health strain of living in one of the world’s most militarized zones, has made rehabilitation a monumental challenge.
Causes of drug addiction in Kashmir
Heroin is making its way into Kashmir through cross-border smuggling, often facilitated by corrupt officials. Despite efforts by local authorities to curb the drug flow, it continues to seep into the region from across the border. This influx is thought to be part of a larger strategy to destabilize the region, with some suggesting that drugs were introduced to keep the youth distracted and numb, preventing them from taking to the streets in protest.
Even local police admit that corruption plays a role. With large quantities of heroin being smuggled into Kashmir by foot or even drones, controlling the border remains a major challenge. Authorities have acknowledged that border security officials may be complicit in allowing drugs to cross into the region, further complicating efforts to tackle the crisis.
What Lies Ahead?
For young men like Iqbal, recovery is a long and painful process. As he struggles through rehabilitation, he dreams of returning to the life he once had—singing, practicing Taekwondo, and looking toward a future that heroin has robbed him of. But for many others, the path remains uncertain. With addiction tightening its grip on the region, Kashmir faces a battle unlike any it has seen before.
This drug addiction in Kashmir, if left unchecked, will continue to ravage the region, creating a generation lost to addiction. While the conflict in Kashmir remains unresolved, this new crisis threatens to leave an even more devastating legacy in its wake.
