Substance Use and Addiction in Kashmir Division: A Review of Prevalence, Determinants, Health Consequences and Community-Based Intervention Strategies

Abstract

Substance use and addiction have emerged as important public health and social concerns in Kashmir Division, requiring an integrated response involving healthcare institutions, educational organisations, families, communities and government agencies. The problem extends beyond the consumption of illicit drugs to include alcohol, cannabis, opioids, pharmaceutical preparations and other psychoactive substances. Substance use disorders can affect physical health, psychological well-being, family relationships, educational attainment, employment and social participation. However, the extent and distribution of substance use cannot be understood through treatment-centre statistics alone, because individuals who do not seek formal assistance may remain unrepresented in institutional records. This review examines the available literature on substance use in Kashmir, with particular attention to prevalence estimates, patterns of consumption, psychosocial determinants, mental health associations, treatment accessibility and prevention strategies. It draws on published studies concerning Kashmir, the national survey on substance use in India, World Health Organization guidance and the accompanying policy proposal on addiction prevention and service delivery. The review identifies important concerns relating to underreporting, limited community-level evidence, the integration of mental health services into primary healthcare, the accessibility of treatment and the need for sustained prevention programmes. It proposes a coordinated framework involving early identification, school- and college-based prevention, community outreach, family counselling, evidence-based treatment, rehabilitation and systematic monitoring. The review concludes that substance use in Kashmir Division should be addressed as a multidimensional public health issue rather than exclusively through punitive or awareness-based approaches. Further population-based and longitudinal research is necessary to establish reliable prevalence estimates, identify changing patterns and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.