Jammu, Feb 5: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday announced that a comprehensive bill to address the growing problem of drug abuse will be introduced during the ongoing session of the Legislative Assembly.
Speaking in the House, Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakina Itoo said the draft legislation is ready and will be presented in the current session.
Her remarks came in response to National Conference MLA Tanvir Sadiq, who recalled that he had earlier introduced a private member’s bill seeking mandatory inclusion of awareness on the harmful effects of drug addiction in school curricula. He later withdrew the bill after receiving assurances from the government.
Addressing the concerns, the minister said the government has also finalised the Drug De-addiction Rules, which have been sent to the Law Department for scrutiny and necessary examination.
She added that the government is committed to strengthening preventive and rehabilitative measures to effectively curb the menace of drug abuse in the Union Territory.
