Bagmita Borthakur
(PhD Research Scholar, BITS Pilani)
&
Bishaldeep Kakati
(Assamese Advisory Board Member, Sahitya Akademi)
Addiction to drugs and substance abuse has become a serious threat for
the country that destroys the social fabric of the society at large. It affects not only the individual concerned but also their families at large. Article 47 of the Indian Constitution provides, “The state shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties, and, in particular, the state shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption, except for medicinal purposes, of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health.”
India has also been the signatory of three UN conventions, namely, the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971), and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988). Specific articles in the conventions, namely, the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971), mandate countries to take necessary steps for stopping addiction to drugs and substances, early detection, treatment, and rehabilitation, and also to train persons to help those addicted to drugs and substances to lead a better life for proper social integration.
According to the report of the National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India ”(2019), released by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, approximately 16 crore individuals (14.6%) aged between 10 and 75 years currently consume alcohol, with 5.2% of them identified as alcohol-dependent. Around 3.1 crore people (2.8%) use cannabis, and 72 lakh (0.66%) experience cannabis-related problems. Opioid use is reported among 2.06% of the population, with nearly 60 lakh individuals (0.55%) requiring treatment or health services. Non-medical use of sedatives affects about 1.18 crore people (1.08%). Inhalant use is notably higher among children and adolescents (1.7%) compared to adults (0.58%), with nearly 18 lakh children in need of assistance for inhalant use. Additionally, it is estimated that approximately 8.5 lakh individuals are people who inject drugs (PWID). According to the official report that came out as a result of an unstarred question put in Rajya Sabha, till September 2024, India had registered a total of 61,642 cases related to drugs and abuse of substances, for which 77,875 have been arrested. The menace of drug addiction and substance abuse in India has happened mainly because of the supply of these illegal items. While speaking of the supply, India has to deal with two specific issues related to it: illicit drug supply because of the geographical positioning of India and drug supply as a result of illegal domestic cultivation.
The geographical positioning of India, i.e., between the Golden Crescent (Iran-Afghanistan and Pakistan) and the Golden Triangle (Thailand-Laos and Myanmar), makes it vulnerable to illicit drug trafficking. From 2020 to April 2024, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) registered 92 cases related to drug trafficking through the Dark Net and cryptocurrency channels. During this period, a total of 1,025 cases involving the use of parcels and courier services for drug smuggling were reported by various drug law enforcement agencies. To tackle the issue, significant steps have been taken by the government that, in the long run, might bring fruitful results. India has established bilateral agreements with 26 countries, signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 17 countries, and entered into Security Cooperation Agreements with 2 countries to strengthen efforts against the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. These agreements include collaborative initiatives focused on demand reduction and prevention of drug trafficking, especially with countries situated in the ‘Golden Crescent’ and ‘Golden Triangle’ regions. In partnership with global communication, India has also shown interest in removing this menace not only from the country but also from the globe at large. To reduce the cases of narcotics trafficking, the country has also cooperated with several regional and multilateral organizations like the SAARC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (SDOMD), BRICS, the Colombo Plan, ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD), the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). Further, with the help of the Border Infrastructure and Management Scheme and Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS), efforts have also been undertaken to take control of the illegal narcotics trafficking.
However, the country’s illegal production of psychoactive substances doesn’t portray a healthy picture either. Reports suggest that India has been one of the largest producers of opium, and according to the World Drug Report 2022, India ranked fourth globally in opium seizures, with a total of 5.2 tonnes confiscated in the year 2020. The country also held the third position for morphine seizures, amounting to 0.7 tonnes during the same year. In fact, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), India accounted for 7% of global opium seizures and 2% of global heroin seizures in 2019. Thus, to combat this pertinent issue, data suggest that some 35,592 acres of poppy cultivation and 82,691 acres of cannabis cultivation have been destroyed across the country, and there is every possibility that the numbers might have increased with each passing year. Additionally, the government has also come up with stringent acts like NDPS, undertaken Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, and established 345 Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs), 47 Community-based Peer-led Intervention (CPLI) Centres, and 74 Outreach and Drop-in Centres (ODICs) for the purpose of rehabilitation, screening, etc., alongside coming up with 105 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) in government hospitals through AIIMS Delhi, 71 District De-addiction Centres (DDACs), etc., that in the longer run can definitely save the lives of many. Thus, India’s effort to stop the menace of drug addiction and substance abuse is manifold, and it involves legislative measures and administrative visions as well as international mandates that, in the long run, can definitely help the country eradicate the menace.