Despite drug abuse, particularly among the youth, on the rise across the country, the Government has, so far, not been able to expedite the process to finalise a national policy on Drug Demand Reduction that aims to curb the menace. The policy is still in the consultation phase.
The need for the policy has been necessitated amidst a growing concern that India having a close proximity to two major opium cultivating areas — the Golden Crescent countries (Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan) and the Golden Triangle countries (Myanmar-laos-Thailand), makes it a region of transit as well as destination for illicit drugs, as was also pointed out by Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot recently at an event.
A recent study by the AIIMS has also revealed serious gravity of the drug problem in Punjab, with opioids worth Rs 7,500 crore being consumed in the State annually.
The key focus of the national policy on Drug Demand Reduction is to educate and make efforts to build awareness at all levels as well as on treatment, rehabilitation, ensure recovery besides helping the patients to adopt preventive health measures, as per the draft prepared by the Union Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment.
The policy envisages networking with healthcare service providers across the spectrum in different parts of the country to ensure that it is able to achieve the objective to reduce the demand for drugs. Efforts to embark on capacity building and training of service providers in the field of drugs with a view to build up skilled manpower is also on the cards.
A Cabinet note for finalising the policy was circulated to the concerned Central Ministries in December 2014 for their views, which has been revised and re-circulated to them again for their comments.
The final decision on the policy is yet to be taken.
However, taking exception to the delay, the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment has deplored the "approach of the ministry and avoidable delay in finalizing the policy considering the extent and nature of the problem. The Committee, therefore, urge upon the ministry to coordinate with all the central ministries concerned with the policy, and vigorously pursue them to send their views expeditiously so that the policy is finalized without further loss of time."
The panel led by MP Ramesh Bais tabled the report in lok Sabha December last year.