Drug abuse in Jammu and Kashmir is no longer an isolated family problem that can be hidden behind closed doors. It has grown into a serious public health challenge, a threat to social stability and, in many cases, a security concern linked to organized trafficking and narco-terror financing. The first 100 days of the Drug-Free J&K campaign have demonstrated administrative urgency, but the real test begins now. A campaign of this scale cannot be allowed to lose momentum once commemorative events are over.
According to figures released by the Jammu and Kashmir Government, 2,581 alleged drug traffickers were arrested during the 100-day campaign. Nearly 1,431 kilograms of narcotics were seized, including 23.29 kilograms of heroin, while properties and other assets valued at more than ₹188.89 crore were confiscated. These figures indicate a significant enforcement push against those profiting from addiction and allegedly financing wider criminal networks. The government has also reported the cancellation of hundreds of driving licences and vehicle registrations, recommendations for the suspension of several passports and action against pharmacies accused of violating regulations. Such measures send an important warning that drug trafficking is not merely a street crime. It is an organized ecosystem involving finance, transport, storage, communication and local facilitation. Every link must be identified and dismantled. However, arrest figures and narcotic seizures cannot become the only measure of success. Strong enforcement is necessary, but it addresses supply more effectively than demand. Young people may turn towards drugs because of emotional distress, unemployment, social isolation, peer pressure, family conflict or easy availability. Unless these underlying vulnerabilities are addressed, new victims may continue to replace those rescued from addiction. The proposed Rehabilitation and Socio-Economic Reintegration Scheme for Drug Abuse Victims, 2026, therefore deserves serious attention. The government says the scheme will follow a structured three-year cycle. Its first phase will concentrate on treatment, counselling and stabilization. The second will focus on education, skills and livelihood opportunities, while the third will provide community support and relapse-prevention assistance. This approach recognises that recovery does not end when a person leaves a rehabilitation centre. Without employment, family acceptance, continued counselling and social dignity, the risk of relapse remains painfully high. Jammu and Kashmir must therefore create genuine pathways from treatment to education, training and work. The padyatras conducted across all 20 districts have helped transform the campaign into a public movement. Parents, teachers, students, women, religious leaders, civil society organisations and local communities have been encouraged to speak openly about a crisis that was too often buried under shame and silence. This mobilisation must now be converted into continuous neighbourhood-level action. Schools and colleges need trained counsellors, early-warning mechanisms and confidential referral systems. District hospitals should have dedicated addiction-treatment facilities supported by psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. Rehabilitation centres must be professionally monitored, adequately staffed and evaluated on recovery outcomes rather than occupancy alone. An important distinction must also be protected. Drug traffickers deserve uncompromising legal action, but young people struggling with addiction need medical care and social support. Treating every user as a criminal can deepen stigma and discourage families from seeking help. The law must remain severe against cartels, financiers and organized suppliers, while the treatment system must remain humane towards victims.
The government deserves credit for combining enforcement, public mobilization and rehabilitation. Yet the next phase must be sharper, more transparent and firmly institutionalized. District-wise data on addiction, treatment, relapse, convictions and rehabilitation outcomes should be regularly published. Financial investigations must trace the larger networks behind street-level peddlers, while recovering youth should receive structured opportunities in education, skills and employment. The first 100 days have shown what determined action can achieve. The road ahead demands more than slogans and seizures. Jammu and Kashmir will move closer to becoming drug-free only when every cartel fears the law, every vulnerable child receives protection, every family can seek help without shame and every recovering young person is given a fair chance to rebuild life.