Jammu and Kashmir launches drug addiction rehab program
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Atal Dulloo, chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India, began a three-year program to rehabilitate people undergoing treatment for drug addiction and help them return to society.
The scheme will start in the districts of Jammu, Srinagar, Kathua, and Budgam, with plans to expand it to other areas later.
The program divides recovery into three phases: the first six months focus on initial treatment and planning, the next 18 months emphasize reintegration and finding work, and the final 12 months involve continued support and social inclusion. Several J&K departments will collaborate to deliver the program. The home department will locate people who need help, while the health department will provide mental health care and addiction treatment. The education department will help people return to school or continue their studies.
The labour and employment department will offer job training and placement services, and the rural development department will foster community support. This new program builds on a 100-day anti-drug campaign launched in 2026 by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, which included awareness programs, poppy crop destruction, and increased enforcement against drug trafficking. Government data shows that police in J&K have registered over 32,500 drug abuse cases since 2022, with the most cases coming from Srinagar and Jammu.
A 2022 study estimated approximately 67,468 people across 10 districts in Kashmir are dependent on substances.
