Drug abuse in India

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Drug menace in India
• News Summary

 

Why in News?

• During a debate in the L
• ok Sabha, Union Home Minister said that the government has zero-tolerance policy towards drugs.
• As a result of this policy, drug seizures and cases against traffickers went up in recent years.

 

What are the reasons for widespread Drug Abuse in India?

• To escape from hard realities of life 
  • The disintegration of the old joint family system, decline of religious and moral values etc. lead to a rise in the number of drug addicts who take drugs to escape hard realities of life.
• Loosening of the traditional methods of social control leaves an individual vulnerable to the stresses and strains of modern life.
• Peers pressure
  • Many youths start using drug under the pressure from their friends, seniors at educational institutions, or by members of their informal groupings.
• Easy Availability
  • India is situated in the sense that on its west is the ‘Golden Crescent’ and on east is the ‘Golden Triangle’.
    • Golden Crescent - Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan
    • Golden Triangle - Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar
  • The usage of drugs in India is increasing, particularly in the border areas due to their porous nature.
• Economic prosperity
  • The agricultural reforms and other industrial activity have led to increase in income in regions like Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra etc.
  • Increase in disposable money and easy availability of drugs has led to increase in its use.

 

What are the steps taken to tackle Drug Abuse in India?

• Article 47 of the Indian Constitution directs the State to endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption of intoxicating drugs injurious to health.
• India is a signatory to
  • the single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol,
  • the Conventions on Psychotropic Substances, 1971 and
  • the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988.
• Legislative steps:
  • Enacted Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and The Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988.
• Institutions involved
  • The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) was created in 1986 as a nodal agency to fight against this menace.
  • Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) are involved with alcohol and drug demand reduction policies and drug de-addiction programme.
  • In order to prevent misuse of dual-use drugs, a permanent inter-ministerial committee has been formed with the ministry of health and family welfare and the ministry of chemicals.
• Technological intervention
  • The NCORD portal has been launched as an effective mechanism for information exchange between various institutions/agencies.
    • The Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) mechanism was set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the year 2016 for effective drug law enforcement.
  • Besides information exchange, the portal will also help in knowledge management.
  • The NCB is working to launch a helpline soon.

 

News Summary

• While participating in a debate in Lok Sabha, the Union home minister Amit Shah stressed that the government is committed to wipe out narcotics trafficking.

 

Key highlights

• All dealers will be in jail in next two years
  • The government has mapped possible routes and drug trafficking networks in 472 districts across the country.
  • No matter how big the culprit is, in the next two years they will be behind bars.
• Increased drug seizure
  • As per the data shared by the minister, 6-lakh kilo of drugs were seized between 2014 and 2022 as compared to 22.45-lakh kilo between 2006 and 2013.
  • The value of the drugs seized went up from Rs 33,000 crore to Rs 97,000 crore in the same period.
• Three-pronged strategy
  • The Home ministry has adopted a three-pronged strategy:
    • strengthening of institutions;
    • empowerment and coordination among agencies; and
    • extensive awareness and rehabilitation campaigns.
• Empowering paramilitary forces on the borders
  • The Centre has empowered the Border Security Force, Seema Suraksha Bal and Assam Rifles to register cases under the NDPS Act.
    • Many states had criticised this step as they saw this empowerment as an encroachment on their jurisdiction.

 

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Q1) What is drug abuse?

The use of illegal drugs or the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used, or in excessive amounts. Drug abuse may lead to social, physical, emotional, and job-related problems.

 

Q2) Is Narcotics Control Bureau a statutory body?

Yes. NCB was constituted by the Government of India in 1986 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

 

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Source: Drug abuse amidst pandemic