Rising drug consumption and drug related crimes has been a cause of social concern. While a coordinated effort of the state and public is required, the Government of India has launched an action plan on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Nasha Mukt Bharat: Annual Action Plan
Nasha Mukt Bharat Annual Action Plan for 2020-21 would focus on 272 most affected districts and launch a three-pronged attack combining efforts of the Narcotics Bureau, Outreach/Awareness by Social Justice and Treatment through the Health Department.
The Action Plan has the following components:
- Awareness generation programmes
- Focus on higher educational institutions, university campuses and schools
- Community outreach and identification of dependent population
- Focus on treatment facilities in hospital settings
- Capacity building programmes for service providers
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment would undertake intervention programmes in vulnerable districts across the country with an aim to:
- Reach out to children and youth for awareness about ill effect of drug use
- Increase community participation and public cooperation
- Supporting government hospitals for opening up de- addiction centers in addition to existing Ministry supported de-addiction centers
- Conducting training programme for participants
Pattern of Substance Use in India
- The Ministry has conducted the first National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India through the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi during 2018
- As per the report, alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used by Indians followed by cannabis and opioids
- About 16 crore persons consume alcohol in the country; more than 5.7 Crore individuals are affected by harmful or dependent alcohol use and need help for their alcohol use problems
- 3.1 crore individuals use cannabis products; about 25 lakh suffer from cannabis dependence
- 2.26 crore use opioids; approximately 77 lakh individuals are required help for their opioid use problems