Drug Abuse : A growing Threat to Heart Health – Dr Sushil Sharma
Drug Abuse : A growing Threat to Heart Health – Dr Sushil Sharma
Jammu, Sep 20
Underscoring the urgent need to safeguard the younger generation from the growing menace of substance abuse, Head Department of Cardiology, GMCH Jammu Dr Sushil Kumar Sharma held a day-long Cardiac Awareness-cum-Health Check-up Camp at Badyal Brahmana, R.S. Pura, Jammu. The initiative focused on preventive cardiology, early identification of health risks and sensitizing the community particularly young people about the serious impact of drug abuse on cardiovascular health. The camp also highlighted the importance of awareness, timely intervention and healthy lifestyle practices in preventing drug-related health complications.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Sushil said that drug abuse is not merely a social concern but a significant and often silent threat to the heart and circulatory system. He explained that various addictive substances can disrupt normal cardiovascular functioning by increasing blood pressure and heart rate, constricting blood vessels and disturbing the electrical activity of the heart. Stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines can sharply increase the heart’s demand for oxygen while simultaneously reducing blood flow to the heart muscle, thereby increasing the risk of chest pain, heart attack, dangerous arrhythmias and sudden cardiac events, even among individuals with no previously known heart disease.
Dr Sushil elaborated that different categories of drugs can affect the cardiovascular system through different mechanisms. Opioids may suppress breathing and cause dangerously low oxygen levels and blood pressure, while injectable drug use can expose individuals to serious bloodstream infections, including infective endocarditis, which can severely damage heart valves. He stressed that repeated substance use, compounded by smoking, poor nutrition, dehydration, sleep deprivation and psychological stress, can progressively undermine cardiovascular health and may eventually contribute to heart failure and other life-threatening complications.
Calling for a collective and sustained response, Dr Sushil urged parents, teachers, healthcare professionals, community leaders and social organizations to strengthen awareness among adolescents and young adults. He emphasized the importance of creating supportive environments where young people can openly address peer pressure, stress, emotional difficulties and other challenges without fear or stigma. Promoting sports, physical activity, constructive hobbies and positive social engagement, he said, can provide healthier avenues for coping with life’s pressures. He also appealed to individuals struggling with substance dependence to seek timely professional assistance rather than suffer in silence.
Dr Sushil maintained that prevention remains one of the most powerful tools in reducing the health burden associated with drug abuse. He cautioned that symptoms such as chest discomfort, breathlessness, fainting or an unusually rapid or irregular heartbeat following substance use should never be ignored and require immediate medical evaluation. The camp provided local residents with health screening and valuable guidance on cardiovascular risk reduction and healthy living. He reiterated that protecting the heart of the younger generation requires awareness, early intervention, compassionate support and a firm commitment to healthy lifestyle choices, thereby paving the way for a healthier and drug-free society.
Prominent members of the area, including Mrs Kanta Devi (Ex-Sarpanch), Bansi Lal (Ex-Panch), Satish Sharma, Retd Capt Kundan Lal Sharma, Amarnath Raina, Som Pal, Janak Raj ,Vijay Sharma, Vicky Sharma, Kamal Kishore , Sub Ashok Sharma and Akshay Sharma, appreciated the dedicated efforts of Dr Sushil Sharma and his team in organizing the Cardiac Awareness-cum-Health Check-up Camp in their area and expressed their heartfelt gratitude for extending these valuable healthcare services to the local community.
Those who contributed to this humane initiative included Dr Bhola Kumar, Dr Ashishwar Verma, Dr Adhishree Bargotra and Dr Lavanya Talwar. The paramedical staff and volunteers included Khushbinder Sandhu, Ranjit Thakur, Gourav Sharma, Jatin Bhasin, Narinder Datta, Rohit Nayyar, Vikas Kumar, Shubham Sharma, Vijay Sharma, Rajinder Singh and Nirvair Singh Bali.
