COMMUNITY-LED CAMPAIGNS AGAINST DRUG ABUSE IN KUPWARA

Kupwara is a border district and most popular infiltration route.

- SYED AALIYA

During the last few years, these routes not only supply drugs but also arms and ammunition. Today, this has become a grave concern in Kashmir which can spread over the nation. This is shaping into 'Narco-Terrorism' - drugs with arms. This way, it is not only becoming a serious threat for the youth but also covering society as a whole. To deal with this, we need some social steps, initiatives, and campaigns to launch for the immediate eradication of drugs in all its forms.

Kupwara, a border district in North Kashmir, is famous for its landscapes, rich heritage, and industrious people. Over the past few years, the area has been struggling with a grave issue - the increasing trend of drug addiction among youth. What makes this issue even more concerning is the way it quietly impacts families, education, health, and the future of youngsters. But there is hope. Among towns and villages across Kupwara, people-run campaigns are coming up to confront this crisis using awareness, care, and initiative.

Drug addiction is not only a health problem, it is a social one. It ruins the minds and aspirations of youth. In Kupwara, as in much of Kashmir, unemployment, mental stress, peer pressure, and easy availability of drugs are some of the major factors behind more youth getting trapped into drug abuse. Locals have seen growing consumption of drugs like cannabis, heroin, and even prescription-free painkillers.

While the government and police are acting, what's really amazing is how ordinary citizens - teachers, shopkeepers, students, mothers, religious leaders, and volunteers - have banded together to rescue their neighbourhoods. These efforts are not motivated by money or celebrity, but by a profound concern for the future of their children and communities.