Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, March 31

On the outskirts of Srinagar, in a modest treatment center tucked behind a government hospital, young men sit in silence, their arms marked by the thin, fading lines of intravenous drug use. Some are in their early 20s. 

A few are still teenagers. 

Nearly all have the same story: what began as experimentation has hardened into dependence on heroin.

Across Kashmir, that story is no longer exceptional. 

It is becoming the defining feature of a deepening drug crisis.

Government figures presented this week in the Legislative Assembly suggest the scale is staggering. 

Of roughly 70,000 people estimated to be using narcotic substances in the Valley, nearly 50,000 are addicted to heroin – many injecting it, a practice that sharply increases the risks of infection, overdose and long-term health complications.

The data, shared in response to a question by Sham Lal Sharma, offers one of the clearest official snapshots yet of a problem that has been steadily intensifying, particularly among the young.

Officials acknowledged the severity of the crisis, describing narcotic drug use as a growing public health and social challenge in J&K.

A 2022 survey conducted by the Health and Social Welfare departments across 10 districts found widespread substance use, with heroin emerging as the dominant drug.

What makes the trend especially dangerous, health experts say, is not just the number of users but how the drug is being consumed. 

Intravenous use, now common among addicts in the Valley, accelerates dependency and exposes users to blood-borne diseases, including hepatitis and H.I.V.

The government says it has responded with a broad strategy – expanding treatment facilities, increasing enforcement and launching awareness campaigns aimed at prevention. 

Nearly 69,000 individuals, officials say, have received some form of treatment or rehabilitation in recent years through addiction treatment facilities, district hospitals and medical colleges.

But on the ground, the system is under strain.

Publicly run de-addiction centers operate in districts like Kulgam, Pulwama and Bandipora, while outreach programs and drop-in centers attempt to reach users in communities. A network of private clinics and nonprofit groups has also emerged, filling gaps in care and offering counseling, detoxification and rehabilitation services.

Even so, access remains uneven, and recovery is often fragile.

Counselors working in the region describe a cycle that is difficult to break: relapse, stigma and limited economic opportunity combine to pull many users back into addiction. 

Families, too, bear the burden, navigating a system that is still evolving to meet the scale of the crisis.

The rise of heroin marks a shift from earlier patterns of substance use in Kashmir, where prescription drugs and cannabis once dominated. 

Heroin’s potency, availability and the speed with which it creates dependence have altered that landscape, making intervention more urgent and more complex.

Officials say they are aware of the stakes. 

The concentration of addiction among young people – many in their most productive years -has implications that extend beyond public health, touching on social stability, employment and the region’s future.

For now, the response continues to expand, even as the numbers grow.

Back at the treatment center, a counselor speaks quietly to a patient about the next steps: therapy sessions, medication, the possibility of relapse. 

Recovery, he tells him, is not a single decision but a long process.

Outside, the Valley carries on – its crisis largely hidden, but increasingly difficult to ignore.