Drug Abuse and Addiction in India

Drug abuse is a complex phenomenon, which has various social, cultural, biological,
geographical, historical and economic aspects. The disintegration of the old joint family
system, absence of parental love and care in modern families where b0th parents are working,
decline of old religious and moral values etc lead to a rise in the number of drug addicts who
take drugs to escape hard realities of life. Drug use, misuse or abuse is also primarily due to
the nature of the drug abused, the personality of the individual and the addict’ s immediate
environment The processes of indust1ialization, urbanization and migration have led to
loosening of the traditional methods of social control rendering an individual vulnerable to
the stresses and Strains of modern life. The fast changing social milieu, among other factors,
is mainly contributing to the proliferation of drug abuse, both of traditional and of new
psychoactive substances. The introduction of synthetic drugs and intravenous drug use
leading to HIV/AIDS has added a new dimension to the problem, especially in the Northeast
states of the country

Drug abuse and addiction is on the rise throughout India. According to recent surveys, India
has at least seventy million drug addicts. In India, the cultural values are slowly changing, the
poorer class 13 suffering with economic hardship while at the same time there 13 a massive
rise in the upper class, all of this combined with the dwindling support of family (due to
increase work and western life) is leading to drug abuse and addiction.

Indian produced pharmaceuticals, heroin, and alcohol are amongst the most abused drugs.
However, drugs like yaba, methamphetamine, ecstasy, cocaine, and crack are all becoming
more abused on a daily basis throughout India.

Over the past two decades, India has seen a rise in industrialization and urbanization, which
has caused large migrations to its cities This is causing their traditional culture and way of
life to slowly loosen; the individual Indians and their new way of life is causing them to be
very vulnerable to the stresses and strains of the modern way of life. These stresses and
strains may cause the person to turn to drugs to calm their thoughts and deal with everyday
life.

Trafficking and Distribution

Because India has seen such a rise in drug abuse and addiction, there is an increasing need for
dealers and distributors to traffic the drugs. Many people in India are seeing this opportunity
as a way to make fast and easy money. They not only risk the chance of getting caught by
police and sentenced to a minimum of ten years in prison, but they are at risk for abusing or
developing an addiction to the drugs. They are also at risk for becoming caught up in rivalry
and drug related crimes.

The Youth

By ninth grade, approximately half of Indian students have tried at least one type of drug.
These youth begin to damage their physical and psychological health and their intellectual
growth, especially when their curiosity turns into abuse. The youth that continue to abuse
drugs will normally begin to use harder drugs and develop addictions to them. Some of them
will join gangs or drug related organizations.

Most of the youth that get caught up with drugs normally do not continue education through
college, and it is not uncommon for these people to end up on the streets. Most of the people
who abuse or have an addiction to drugs in India are between the ages of 18 and 35. The
majority of them are males, but there are a small percentage of women in India who abuse
them; the number of women is slowly rising each year.

Disease

Since drug abuse and addiction in India has risen, the country has seen an increase in HIV,
Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and C, and other transmitted diseases. Injecting substances is
becoming more popular amongst addicts, which is causing healthcare officials to become
concerned about an even greater rise in these diseases.

Family Effects

The women and their children are facing problems as well. Many women who are married to
drug abusers and addicts are subjected to domestic violence, infectious diseases, and financial
problems. Eighty seven per cent of users who were in a rehab center claimed that they were
violent to their wife, children, and other family members while using. Most domestic
violence comes as a result of the addict needed money to buy more drugs.

Rehab

India is beginning to see a rise in rehab centers across the country. However, drug use is still
considered taboo and a very sensitive matter. Often times, families do not want to send their
loved ones to a rehab in India, because of shame or even fear; fear that the government will
find out about their loved one’s drug use.

India’s Stand

India has braced itself to face the menace of drug trafficking both at the national and
international levels. Several measures involving innovative changes in enforcement, legal and
judicial systems have been brought into effect. The introduction of death penalty for drug-
related offences has been a major deterrent. The Narc0tic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances
Act, 1985, were enacted with stringent provisions to curb this menace. The Act envisages a
minimum term of 10 years imprisonment extendable to 20 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh
extendable up to Rs 2 lakhs for the offenders. The Act has been further amended by making
provisions for the forfeiture of properties derived from illicit drugs trafficking.
Comprehensive strategy involving specific programmes to bring about an overall reduction in
use of drugs has been evolved by the various government agencies and NGOS and is further
Supplemented by measures like education, counseling, treatment and rehabilitation
programmes. India has bilateral agreements on drug trafficking with 13 countries, including
Pakistan and Burma. Prior to 1999, extradition between India and the United States occurred
under the auspices of a 1931 treaty signed by the United States and the United Kingdom,
which was made applicable to India in 1942. However, a new extradition treaty between
India and the United States entered into force in July 1999. A Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty
was signed by India and the United States in October 2001. India also is signatory to the
following treaties and conventions:

(a) 1961 UN. Convention on Narcotic Drugs. (19) 1971 UN. Convention on Psychotropic
Substances. (c) 1988 UN. Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances. (d) 2000 Transnational Crime Convention

The spread and entrenchment of drug abuse needs to be prevented, as the cost to the people,
environment and economy will be colossal. The unseemly spectacle of unkempt drug abusers
dotting lanes and by lanes, cinema halls and other public places should be enough to goad the
authorities to act fast to remove the scourge of this social evil. Moreover, the spread of such
reprehensible habits among the relatively young segment of society ought to be arrested at all
cost. There is a need for the government enforcement agencies, the non governmental
philanthropic agencies, and others to collaborate and supplement each Other’s efforts for a
solution to the problem of drug addiction through education and legal actions. Practically
every country has its own substance abuse problem to face.