Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir: "I was just like any other student in school—everything was fine until I fell into the wrong company," N*, 24, said. "At first, I didn’t care and avoided touching any drugs, but they [her friends] kept insisting, saying, ‘just try it once, and you’ll know what this is.’"

N, who lives in Srinagar, had achieved excellent results in her class 10 exams 

and hoped to score high marks in the 12th standard as well. She said she had hoped to become a doctor.

However, peer pressure led to a heroin addiction. 

Though she said she resisted at first, one day in April 2020, a friend from her school in Srinagar—which she had joined a year earlier, having passed her class 10 exams in her village about 13 km from Srinagar—offered her heroin, claiming it would help her sleep better.

N said she was having trouble sleeping due to the intense pressure of her upcoming class 12 board exams and academic expectations. As a bright student aiming for top marks, the constant stress to perform well—combined with anxiety about her future—often kept her up at night. She confided that the pressure from school, competitive exams, and the fear of disappointing her family led to sleepless nights.

"I thought it would be harmless, so I agreed," N said. That decision became the turning point in her life.

“When I woke up, I wondered how I had slept so deeply. I immediately called that friend and asked for more the next day," she said.

"I thought heroin would help me sleep. I didn’t know that one dose could end everything I was," N told Article 14 when we met her on the banks of the Jhelum river close to Rajbagh, an upscale colony in Srinagar, in May this year. 

It was to the banks of the Jhelum that N came with her classmates after bunking classes for months. Some took heroin, while others took tablets like Tramadol—an opioid-based pain medication that requires a prescription, but can be bought illegally from medical stores. 

"There came a point where I couldn’t live without drugs,” she said. “I stopped caring about my parents, family, or reputation.”

Within two months after she first tried the drug, in April 2019, N said she developed a severe addiction. 

Once a favorite student of her teachers and respected in her village, N dropped out of school before her board exams, and gained a bad reputation due to her use of drugs.

"I stole from my own mother,” said N. “Heroin made me forget who I was—a daughter, a student, a dreamer."

N said she used the stolen money to buy a small packet of heroin for Rs 1000-1500, from her friend, at least once a week.

Her family, who once proudly spoke of her dedication, now felt ashamed and disheartened seeing their daughter consumed by her addiction.

Her father, A*, a farm labourer, said the family’s mental peace and daily life were severely affected. 

"We were not only distressed by our daughter’s addiction but also burdened by societal pressure,” he said. “As her condition worsened, we desperately searched for help."

Her parents took her to several drug de-addiction centres, but said that most were overcrowded and lacked the facilities and environment they were looking for. After numerous efforts, they connected with The Grooming Kashmir (TGK) De-Addiction Centre in Srinagar, where they found hope.

"It took us two years to bring our daughter back on track," he said. "Today, Alhamdulillah, we are living happily, and she is recovering well—though her checkups continue."

After undergoing treatment at TKG, she moved in with relatives in the city and returned to school.

“I didn’t feel judged there,” N said. “The staff made me believe I could still rebuild my life. For the first time, I felt seen—not as an addict, but as someone who could be healed.”

She completed her class 12 exams in 2021 and is now studying for a college degree.

The Drug Crisis 

TGK De-Addiction Centre, founded in 2019, was the first private rehabilitation centre in Srinagar run by a woman, providing a secure and safe environment for females seeking treatment. Laila Qureshi, the founder of TGK, said the centre receives no funds from the government and survives on payments from patients and help from volunteers.

According to the central government, it has spent Rs 5.45 crores from 2021 to 2024 on 32 rehabilitation centres in the region under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction. These include one integrated rehabilitation centre for addicts, three outreach and drop-in centres, two community peer-led interventions, five district de-addiction centres, and 20 de-addiction treatment facilities in government hospitals. 

In the 2023-24 fiscal year, over 31,000 individuals in J&K underwent treatment for addiction. 

The Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), the largest government run de-addiction centre in Kashmir, documented 1137 drug-related cases from April to November 2024.

At TGK, families—especially those with daughters struggling with addiction—receive care in a confidential setting, away from the public exposure often seen in government or police-run de-addiction centres.

In contrast, most patients in government or police-operated facilities are individuals who were first arrested and then referred for counselling and rehabilitation. Many families avoid  such centres due to overcrowding.

Qureshi said her de-addiction centre operates as a private facility with affordable fees, accommodating families' financial situations.

Qureshi said the minimum cost for a full recovery program at her centre is Rs 25,000. However, those who can’t afford to pay are treated free of charge.

Starting with just two rooms, in October 2018, her centre became a lifeline for countless families.

Today, it treats 50-60 patients daily, offering medical care, psychological counselling and spiritual healing.

Laila Qureshi expressed deep concern over the rising drug use among the youth of the region, emphasizing that both boys and girls are trying drugs under the illusion that it's harmless fun, not realizing that trying drugs like heroin can lead to addiction.

“Addiction doesn’t discriminate. It destroys fertility, mental health, and futures,” said Qureshi. “Yet families would rather pretend it doesn’t exist than seek help." 

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has been struggling against a growing drug epidemic in the region. Multiple reports (here, here and here), based on a study done by the psychiatry department of the Government Medical College in Srinagar, claim Kashmir is the region with the second-highest rate of drug usage in India.

Despite the rise in substance abuse, particularly heroin, the government has failed to address the crisis, with the region suffering from a critical shortage of drug de-addiction centres, according to Qureshi.

In August 2022, Article 14 reported on how the youth of the violence-affected region were suffering from high rates of heroin addiction due to stress and unemployment. 

In July 2023, Article 14 reported on how women drug users were ostracised, making it difficult for them to seek treatment at state-run de-addiction centres and very few women users were coming forward to get help.

A February 2019 report by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences said that 600,000 people in J&K were consuming drugs, close to 5% of the total population. 

J&K had a population of 12.5 million according to the 2011 census.

In the four years after that report, the abuse of drugs doubled in the region. 

On 4 August 2023, the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment reported to the Parliament of India that an estimated 1.35 million individuals in J&K, or 10% of the population, are affected by drug addiction.

The report revealed that around 168,700 children—about 1.3% of the total population of the region according to the 2011 census—between the ages of 10 and 17 in J&K are drug users.

Qureshi, 40, founder of the centre, is a Dutch national originally from Kashmir, and holds an MSc in Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health from London Metropolitan University.

As a psychologist and counselor registered with the British Psychological Society—a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom—she has extensive experience working with children and adults facing a range of challenges, including intellectual disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, addictions, domestic violence and various relationship issues.

Eight years ago, Qureshi returned to Kashmir from the Netherlands, determined to make a difference in her homeland.

Qureshi said her initial dream was to help children with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, but after witnessing the alarming rise in addiction cases in Kashmir—and the lack of compassionate, culturally sensitive treatment—she felt a deep sense of responsibility to help. 

"We (people in Kashmir) used to send addicts to Punjab or Jammu for treatment, but they faced discrimination—beards cut, forced to eat jhatka meat,” Qureshi said. “They’d return angrier, more broken. I knew Kashmir needed its own solution." 

Qureshi said families often hide their female relatives' addiction due to societal stigma, which prevents timely treatment. Despite the challenges, she hopes to create a larger 100-bed facility for treatment. 

Phases Of Recovery

Qureshi said her de-addiction centre offered a structured, multi-phase approach to recovery. The treatments combine medical detoxification, psychological therapy and mindfulness practices to ensure physical and emotional healing.

The first phase is detoxification, which lasts 1-2 weeks.

According to Qureshi, patients undergo medically assisted detox to safely eliminate the narcotics from their bodies, under the supervision of licensed psychiatrists. Medication is carefully administered to manage withdrawal symptoms.

The second phase, which can last for up to five weeks, involves psychometric evaluation and psychological treatment.

During this phase a thorough psychometric assessment identifies underlying mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety or trauma.

Licensed therapists conduct individual and group therapy sessions, using evidence-based approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. Family therapy is incorporated to address relational dynamics and create a supportive home environment.

The final phase involves guided meditation and relaxation techniques in order to help patients manage stress, cravings and emotional triggers. This includes teaching patients yoga and breathing exercises that promote mental clarity and emotional balance. Aftercare planning includes support groups, relapse prevention strategies and follow-up sessions to ensure sustained recovery.

"Mental health and drug abuse are deeply interlinked," explained Qureshi. "Many patients with a family history of mental illness turn to narcotics as a coping mechanism, which then worsens conditions like depression and anxiety. Our program breaks this cycle by treating both the addiction and its psychological roots." 

N, spent over a year in structured recovery, starting with medical detox, followed by psychological therapy. She told Article 14 that TGK provided her with a safe, confidential environment crucial for female patients.

She was admitted to TGK for over a month, followed by regular follow-up sessions over the next 10 to 12 weeks. “These check-ins keep me grounded,” said N. “Whenever I feel overwhelmed or anxious, I know I have a safe space to return to for support.”

“Discovering The Strength Within Me”

S*, now 22, first tried heroin in July 2020, at the urging of friends. 

She was 17 years old and studying in class 12 at a private school in Srinagar.

She said she had no idea it would spiral into a devastating heroin addiction. 

What began as experimentation quickly turned into dependency, consuming her life and shattering her family.

A previously bright student with good grades, S dropped out of school. She too took to stealing from her mother and other relatives to fund her habit. She said she would spend Rs 1500 every three days to buy the drug.

In Kashmiri society, daughters are not just individuals but symbols of familial honour, their choices scrutinized under the weight of patriarchal expectations.

S’s addiction, therefore, was not merely a personal crisis but a source of profound distress for her family and community. 

The family’s despair was compounded by societal pressure. On one hand, they watched helplessly as their daughter remained trapped in addiction; on the other, they grappled with stigma and their own deteriorating economic circumstances, said G*, S’s 55-year-old father.

G said he quit his job teaching Islamic studies at a private school in Srinagar because of the shame and stigma the family faced because of his daughter’s drug addiction. He ended up working as a salesman at a local grocery shop. 

G, who previously never missed a prayer at the local masjid, stopped going to the mosque after the family became the subject of whispers and judgment in the community. 

“My father stopped going to the mosque. People whispered about his daughter. The shame killed us daily,” S added.

The family's anguish reached a breaking point when S’s mother, overwhelmed by the public stigma and despair, attempted to take her own life.

The family said they struggled to find a suitable clinic to treat their daughter.

Most de-addiction centres in Kashmir, according to S’s family, were not suitable for young women battling addiction. Many of these facilities were located in male-dominated spaces, staffed primarily by men, making it difficult for female patients to feel safe, understood and cared for.

The family finally found Qureshi's drug de-addiction centre in Srinagar. 

After listening to the family's concerns about their daughter, the team at the centre began a treatment program to help S overcome her addiction.

G said that the experts at the centre “provided personalised care, including detoxification, counselling, therapy and medical support”. 

A notable aspect of the program, said S, was having a female counselor. This helped her feel more comfortable. 

S was admitted to the centre for one month and continued receiving treatment, including counselling sessions and regular checkups, for a further seven months.

In 2022, two years after she dropped out of class 12, S re-enrolled in the same school and passed her board exam. 

In 2024, at the age of 22, she focused on improving her fitness and started preparing for the UPSC exams, marking the beginning of a new academic and professional journey.

"I've learned that the path to healing isn't just about regaining what I've lost—it's about discovering the strength within me to rise again," S told Article 14.

*Name changed on request.

(Tauseef Ahmad and Suhail Khan are freelance journalists based in Kashmir)

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