A former drug addict who has given up on his regular drag of his favourite cannabis may find favour with the Government.
In a novel initiative to help check rampant drug abuse in the country, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) has constituted national awards for people who have helped stub the menace. One of the categories also include a former addict, who will be rewarded Rs 1 lakh for successfully giving up the addiction.
Inter-ministerial committee chaired by SJE Minister Kumari Selja, which met on Thursday has drawn up a final list of awardees in 10 categories which will be honoured with citation and cash prizes by the President Pranab Mukherjee in a ceremony in Delhi on June 26, this year.
“This is for the first time that these awards will be given. Any government alone cannot check the problem of drug abuse, which is so rampant across the country, as large as ours. We need active partners to help us identify the problematic pockets and then check the menace,” said a senior MSJE official.
“These awards which come with a cash prize will be given to various rehabilitation centres, educational institutes, media, NGOs, Panchayats, training centres and research organisation who have in any which way contributed in fighting the problem of drug abuse,” he said.
A 2001 survey carried out by MSJE with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated that approximately 7.5 crore Indians were addicts.
The National Survey on extent, pattern and trends of drug abuse in India showed that the prevalence rates within the age group of 12-18 years were alcohol (21.4 per cent), cannabis (3 per cent), opiates (0.7 per cent) and any illicit drug (3.6 per cent).
The survey indicated a high concentration of drug addiction in certain social segments and high-risk groups, such as, commercial sex workers, transportation workers and street children.
Also the use of drugs was found to be much higher in North Eastern states/border areas and opium growing regions of the country.
Altogether, 40,697 males within the age-group of 12-60 years were interviewed in the survey.
The National Survey, the Ministry sources said, also indicates the prevalence of drug abuse among 371 women out of the sample size of 4,648 persons which is eight per cent.
Of the sample survey and projections made thereafter it was estimated that there were about 6.25 crore alcoholics, 90 lakh Cannabis and 2.5 lakhs opiates and nearly 10 lakh illicit drug users in the country.