National survey on drug abuse in India after 15 years
The social justice and empowerment ministry has constituted a committee to undertake a survey on the use and abuse of drugs in the country; the last survey (2001) is over 15 years old. The panel comprises of senior ministry officials as well as members of AIIMS' National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC). The department is aiming to finish an exhaustive survey by 2018.
No survey since 15years despite laws
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 2012 provides for conducting surveys on drug use and abuse every five years. However, no such study has been conducted even after that. Last August, the number of people estimated to be affected by drugs stood at 7.21cr.
Survey proposed in 2015 yet to start
Professor Rakesh Kumar Chadha, NDDTC chair, said the survey should be started by 2018 end. The committee would meet on May 9 to plan the survey; it will also be taken up at a meeting of council of ministers with PM Narendra Modi on May 15. The proposal came in 2015, but the ministry has failed to finalize an agency for it till now.
Last survey estimated alcohol addicts at over 1 crore
The 2001 survey revealed that over one crore people in the country were addicted to alcohol, 23 lakh to cannabis, and five lakh to opiates. It also reported a severe lack of de-addcition centres; only four such centres existed for women, and none for juveniles.
