International Day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

BY: Aryan Chawla

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed annually on 26
June. The decision to mark the day was taken on 7 December 1987 via resolution 42/112 of
the United Nations General Assembly in order to strengthen global action and cooperation
to achieve its aim of making the international society free of drug abuse.

This year’s theme ‘Health for Justice. Justice for Health’ emphasises that justice and health
are “two sides of the same coin” when it comes to addressing the problems associated with
drugs. According to the United Nations, in order to create effective responses to tackle the
problem of drugs, accountable institutions of criminal justice, health and social services
should work together to provide integrated solutions.

Drug abuse in India

Over the last couple of decades, drug consumption has become one of the gravest
problems affecting the children and youth of the country. In February 2019, the National
Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS), New Delhi submitted its report “Magnitude of Substance Use in India” that was
sponsored by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The key findings of the survey were: i) At the national level, about 14.6 percent of the
people (approximately 16 crore people) between the ages of 10 and 75 are current users of
alcohol. ii) About 2.8 percent of Indians (3.1 crore people) have reported using any
cannabis product within the past 12 months. iii) Around 2.06 percent of the people reported
using opiods at the time of the survey. About 0.55 percent of Indians are estimated to need
help for their opioid use problems. iv) Nationally, it is estimated that there are about 8.5 lakh
people who inject drugs (PWID).

Of the total cases estimated by the report, more than half of them are contributed by states
like Assam, Delhi, Haryana, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh that have a high
prevalence of drug abuse and disorders. Punjab ranks consistently at the top or in the top
five in many of the surveys conducted to measure drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
Due to Punjab’s proximity to the border, the state serves as a transit route for smugglers for
the distribution of drugs in the state and the rest of the country. Youth who are unemployed
often resort to narcotics in the hope of forgetting their troubles. Sometimes, the youth try
drugs for fun under the influence of their peers, which often results in addiction. The Punjabi
music industry only exacerbates the problem, as glorification of drugs has become a trend.
The problem was so severe that it prompted the Punjab government to set up a "culture
commission" last year to tackle the “menace of vulgarity” and its complete eradication by
monitoring songs.

RK Chadda, Chief of National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of AIIMS,

New Delhi explains that "adolescence is a highly vulnerable age group. They are prone to
substance abuse problems.” According to CHILDLINE India Foundation, there are a lot of
cases of this age group because “youth is a time for experimentation and identity forming.”
This problem needs to be tackled at “the initial stages”, says Chadda, because they are at
an increased risk of long-term consequences.
Drug abuse problems in women are increasing at a very fast rate. Despite the increasing
number of drug addicts, not many women seek help. One reason for this, as explained by
Chadda, is that women’s drug abuse problems "are often sitgmatised". Drug abuse and
addiction in women is a source of constant anxiety for not only the women but for their
families as well. Thus, the women are usually “reluctant to access the services”, he said.

Despite the increasing number of drug addicts, not many women seek help. One reason for
this, as explained by Chadda, is that “Women’s drug abuse problems are often sitgmatised".
Drug abuse and addiction in women is a source of constant anxiety for not only the women
but for their families as well. Thus, the women are usually “reluctant to access the services”,
he says. Dr Sandeep Bhola, who works at a rehabilitation centre for women in Punjab's
Kapurthala, said that this is a very dangerous situation. He said, “We need to focus more on
this hidden population (women) because one woman means one family and the impact it
has on the society is a lot as compared to that of a male.”

What is being done?

To tackle the problem of drug abuse and addiction, NDDTC provides both outpatient
treatment and in-patient services. It also runs specialised clinics that cater to specific
problems of substance abuse like tobacco suspension clinics etc. RK Chadda says that the
NDDTC provides services to approximately 400 patients every day. While 200 patients are
provided services at the main centre, the other 200 get services at the community outreach
units across Delhi. “These are the underprivileged areas of the city. Drug abuse is very
common here”, he explains.

The centre plans to introduce new services, including exclusive wards for adolescents and
women. This is a positive development, as the lack of exclusive treatment for women often
creates a hindrance for women in seeking help.

NDDTC has also initiated a new service called mobile methadone dispensing van, that
provides treatment to opioid addicts in the East Delhi area. Methadone is provided only
under supervision, and several people eventually stop going to the hospital altogether
because of the distance. The vans will help in closing this distance and ensuring that people
continue with their treatments.

The Union government has come up with a multitude of programmes under appropriate
ministries to deal with the problems of drug abuse and addiction. The Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment has prepared a National Action Plan for Drug Demand
Reduction (NAPDDR) for 2018-25. The aim is to “reduce the adverse consequences of drug
abuse and addiction by creating awareness, educating people about the ill-effects of drug
use, and developing human resources to work towards these objectives”, the plan says.