New Delhi: 26 June is known as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and this date has also got its recognition from the United Nations. The observance of the day is an important initiative to ensure sustainable development globally and to advocate for measures to tackle drug abuse and trafficking.
The theme of this initiative for 2019 is "Health for justice, justice for health." The United Nations has sought to emphasize that tackling drug abuse leads directly to both health and justice, which are two sides of the same coin.
However, when it comes to India it is still considered as a major hub for illicit drug trade and consumption.
Around 16 crore Indians in the age group of 10-75 are consumers of alcohol with Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa having the highest prevalence of liquor use. These details were revealed in a survey which was conducted by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) titled 'Prevalence and Extent of Substance Use in India'.
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This makes up 14.6 percent of the total population. Consumption of substances in India has existed since centuries, traced earliest to 2000 BC. Use of alcohol has been linked to joyous occasions; celebrations and use of cannabis have been related to participation in religious festivals.
However, it is not a piece of new information that the consumption results are related to a devastating health crisis irrespective of age, gender and religion.
Among those dependent on alcohol, one in 38 reported some form of treatment, while one in 180 reported getting in-patient treatment or hospitalization.
Other Narcotics Users
After alcohol, cannabis, and opioids are the next commonly-used substances in the country, the survey has found.
About 2.8 percent of Indians (around 3.1 crores) reported having used some cannabis products in the last 12 months.
At the national level, the most commonly used opioid is the heroine (used by 1.14 percent of the people surveyed), followed by pharmaceutical opioids (used by 0.96 percent of the people surveyed) and opium (used by 0.52 percent of the people surveyed).
About 1.08 percent (around 1.18 crore) of Indians in the 10-75 age group use sedatives (non-medical, non-prescription use).
At the national level, an estimated 4.6 lakh children and 18 lakh adults need help for inhaler use, the survey found.