Needle-using drug abusers at SMHS face grave skin issues
Eight out of ten needle-using drug abusers admitted to the Drug De-Addiction center at SMHS have no option but to seek dermatological consultation for the skin-related issues caused by the intravenously injecting contraband substances over time.
The skin issues in these drug abusers, who mostly fall in the 17-30 age group, are manifested through hardened skin, a change in the color of the skin, and, in several cases, peeling off of the skin, as well as the emergence of wounds and gangrene that doctors say require immediate medical attention.
“There have been cases where the patients had to undergo amputation because of the extent of damage due to the injection of drugs using needles,” Dr. Yasir Rather, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, GMC Srinagar, said.
Currently, there are nearly 8-10 people admitted to the Drug De-Addiction Centre, and most of them have been taking drugs intravenously for years together, now undergoing a phase of quitting the abuse.
“I have been doing IV for nearly 5 years and started it from the arm where the veins are visible, using other areas of the body as well over time; doing IV consumes less substance in one shot, and the effect it leaves is also long-lasting-that was the prime reason I started doing it,” said Faheem (name changed), one of the former drug abusers at the Drug De-Addiction.
While he has stopped doing it for the last over a week now, he said that the abuse comes with a huge financial burden, apart from severely affecting health, as he presented his forearm riddled with scars.
Another former drug abuser, while commenting on the skin getting affected due to the consumption of contraband through IV, said that those who are experienced don’t see their skin getting affected, but “those who do not have any idea about veins, at times, end up injecting the substance into the muscles, leading to ill-effects.”
Those who are dealing with these drug abusers related to their treatment and counseling at the SMHS said that while the skin-related issues are rampant in drug abusers, those involved in IVs are more exposed to it.
They also pointed out cases where class 9 and 10 kids were seen involved in substance abuse, consuming the same using needles.
With regard to the treatment of skin issues, the patients who are brought to the Drug De-Addiction center are then accordingly referred for consultation in the Dermatology Department.
“While in some cases, it can be serious, but the majority of cases start witnessing improvement in a month or so, provided they quit injecting needles and quit the drug abuse,” said Muhammad Saleem Mir, a Counselor at SMHS.
It has also been stated that due to the strict action from the authorities, the supply chain is now witnessing a dent, leading to less availability of contraband substances.
Dr. Yasir said that over the last one year, the registration of new cases related to drug abuse has witnessed nearly a 50 percent decline, attributing the same to the efforts of the Government under a multi-pronged strategy.
