SRINAGAR: Over 13 lakh adults in Jammu and Kashmir are estimated to be using addictive substances, with opioids emerging as the most prevalent category, according to figures placed before Parliament by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India, conducted between December 2017 and October 2018 by the Ministry through the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre at AIIMS, New Delhi, found that in the 18–75 age group in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir region, opioids account for 5.05 percent of users, translating to around 4.47 lakh individuals. Alcohol use was reported at 4 percent with 3.54 lakh users, followed by cannabis at 1.54 percent, affecting roughly 1.36 lakh people. Sedatives accounted for 1.71 percent or 1.51 lakh users, inhalants for 1.01 percent or 89,000 users, while cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants and hallucinogens were each reported by approximately 1,000 individuals.
The Ministry clarified that separate data for Ladakh is not available, as the survey was conducted before the Union Territory was created on October 31, 2019, when the region formed part of undivided Jammu and Kashmir. Despite the lack of separate data, the government acknowledged growing concern over drug and substance use along with increasing mental health challenges in the region.
To address substance use, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR), a centrally sponsored scheme providing financial assistance to state and Union Territory administrations, government hospitals, and voluntary organisations for preventive education, awareness generation, treatment, rehabilitation, and community-based interventions. Currently, nationwide support includes 349 Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts, 45 Community-based Peer Led Intervention programmes, 76 Outreach and Drop-In Centres, 154 Addiction Treatment Facilities in government hospitals, and 145 District De-Addiction Centres, of which two are operational in Ladakh. All facilities have been geo-tagged to ensure accessibility for beneficiaries.
The Ministry highlighted the operation of a toll-free de-addiction helpline, 14446, which provides primary counselling and immediate referral services. The helpline has received over 4.56 lakh calls so far. Counselling and treatment services are provided through Integrated Rehabilitation Centres and District De-Addiction Centres, with post-discharge follow-up and home visits to prevent relapse and ensure sustained recovery.
In addition to treatment, the Department has developed Navchetna modules and teacher training materials to sensitise students from classes six to eleven, teachers, and parents on substance dependence, coping strategies, and life skills. The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA), launched in August 2020 and now extended to all districts, seeks to reach out to masses, particularly youth, in schools, universities, and colleges, spreading awareness, identifying dependent populations, strengthening counselling and treatment facilities, and building capacity for service providers.
Across the country, the Abhiyaan has reached over 25.87 crore people, including 9.32 crore youth and 6.35 crore women, through more than 8.13 lakh activities. In Ladakh alone, the campaign has covered 63,263 people, including 26,575 youth and 18,815 women, engaging 703 educational institutions and 100 master volunteers through 164 activities.
The NMBA has also partnered with spiritual and social organisations such as The Art of Living, Brahma Kumaris, Sant Nirankari Mission, All World Gayatri Parivar, ISKCON, Shri Ram Chandra Mission, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram, and the University of Patanjali to conduct mass awareness activities. Awareness efforts are further reinforced through social media platforms and the NMBA website, which provides information, discussion forums, dashboards, and e-pledge options. Since its launch, the NMBA has facilitated nationwide participation through physical and virtual pledges, including a special event in Amritsar in August 2025 marking its fifth anniversary, attended by over 10,000 participants from schools, colleges, self-help groups, spiritual organisations, NGOs, and security forces, with more than 6.3 crore people participating across the country.
