Beyond crackdowns: Why Nurpur’s drug menace needs healing, not just policing

The Nurpur police district has intensified its campaign to curb narcotics, particularly in the border subdivisions of Nurpur and Indora, with massive crackdowns on drug smugglers. While these operations have made heroin (locally called chitta) scarce and more expensive, families in the region continue to battle sleepless nights as their children remain trapped in addiction. What worries residents most is the absence of a clear state policy to bring drug-affected youth back into the mainstream.

As the supply tightens, addicts are resorting to petty thefts to finance their addiction. A recent case in Ward No. 2 of Nurpur town, where brass taps from a drinking water cooler and iron drain covers were stolen, highlighted the lengths to which addicts go to procure drugs. Families, already under severe financial distress, now face the additional trauma of social stigma and the constant fear of losing their children to overdose. Several chronic users have already lost their lives, leaving parents shattered both emotionally and economically.

The problem is aggravated by the lack of reliable rehabilitation facilities. Nurpur’s only drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centre, run by the Kangra district Red Cross Society, struggles with limited infrastructure. Parents have demanded that this facility be strengthened and indoor wards set up in government civil hospitals to treat addicts with dignity. Meanwhile, private de-addiction centres in rural areas, mostly run by outsiders, are thriving commercially but lack professional infrastructure or oversight. With no regular government monitoring, these centres often exploit desperate families.

Adding to the crisis is the drug mafia’s well-oiled network in this border belt. Investigations reveal that smugglers lure young addicts into peddling. Initially, they provide free doses and later push them into selling narcotics to others. This strategy not only spreads the chain of addiction but also builds a steady supply line for the mafia.

Mental health experts believe that breaking this cycle requires more than policing. Eminent psychiatrist Dr Sumit Singh, who has been conducting anti-drug workshops in government schools of neighbouring Pathankot, emphasises community participation, parental vigilance and channelising youth energy into sports.

He urges society to view addicts as patients, not criminals, noting that social stigma often prevents them from seeking psychiatric help. “Families and friends can play a vital role in counselling and treatment,” he stresses, pointing to mental health disorders and poor socio-economic conditions as the root causes driving youngsters towards drugs.

Unless the state steps in with a comprehensive policy combining enforcement, rehabilitation and community support, the border belt of Nurpur and Indora risks losing more of its young generation to this silent epidemic.