New Delhi: The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment implements a “Central Sector Scheme of Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drug) Abuse” which provides financial assistance to eligible Non-Governmental Organizations, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Urban Local Bodies, etc. for, inter-alia, running and maintenance of Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts to provide composite/integrated services for the rehabilitation of addicts.
The Ministry has issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories on 11.8.2016 for taking coordinated action to address the problem of drug abuse.
The National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), an autonomous organization under this Ministry, conducts sensitization and preventive education programmes in schools and colleges on regular basis. During the year 2017-18, NISD has conducted 247 awareness generation programmes in various Schools and Universities/Colleges covering 23006 beneficiaries.
Besides, the Ministry has in the year 2016, conducted an awareness generation programme, in collaboration with Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY), to create awareness in children and youth about the harmful effects of substance abuse in 156 schools in 22 districts of Punjab covering about 52,800 students.
The last National Survey on the extent, pattern and trend of drug abuse was sponsored by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the year 2000-2001 and its report was published in 2004. It was estimated that about 732 lakh persons in India were users of alcohol and drugs. Of these 87 lakh used Cannabis, 20 lakh used opiates and 625 lakh were users of Alcohol. The sample size of the survey was 40,697 males within the age group of 12-60 years both in rural and urban areas.
Thereafter, the Ministry has, in the month of August, 2016, assigned the work of conducting a National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India to National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The survey will provide national and State-level estimates of proportion and absolute number of people who use various substances and people who are suffering from substance use disorders.
Government of Andhra Pradesh has informed that the Prohibition & Excise Department conducted 775 awareness programmes in schools and colleges, 591 rallies and runs, 424 seminars/workshops/meetings, distribution of pamphlets, 111 other literacy activities on the evils of drug abuse all over the State from 12.6.2017 to 26.6.2017 observing 26.6.2017 as Anti Drug Abuse Day.
In a bid to cut supply of ganja, a special drive has been launched for the first time in the State to destroy live ganja plants from 15.9.2017 and destroyed 1,67,60,156 ganja plants cultivated in 3105.01 acres of land situated in 292 villages of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari Districts. Drone teams have been deployed to gather intelligence inputs regarding cultivation of ganja in high lands, taking active support from Police, Revenue, Forest and ITDA authorities.
Five Kalajatha teams educated the tribal farmers against ganja cultivation from 27.11.2017 to 26.12.2017 in 300 villages of Visakhapatnam.
Workshops, seminars and coordination meetings have been held in this regard at Visakhapatnam on 07.07.2016, 21.06.2017, 09.11.2017, 22.02.2018, 26.06. 2018, at Rajahmundry on 19.01.2017 and at Tirupathi on 10.07.2018. Officers of the cadre of DGP, Spl CS to Government Revenue Department, Commissioner of Prohibition & Excise, Director of Enforcement (Proh & Excise), Addl. DGP , CID of Andhra Pradesh, Zonal Director, NCB Bangalore, Addl. Director, DRI Hyderabad have participated. 26.06.2018 has been observed as Anti Drug Abuse Day in which rallies and runs have been organized at Visakhapatnam.
