Drug Menace

Drug Menace

Introduction UN Office on Drugs and Crime and India’s Ministry of Social Justice Joint report 2024.

  • Millions of Indians are dependent on alcohol, cannabis, and opiates, and drug misuse is a pervasive phenomenon in Indian society.

Or

  • Telangana is set to decentralise its fight against drugs by establishing seven Regional Narcotics Control Cells (RNCCs) and four Narcotic Police Stations.

Or

  • Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy stressed the need for dealing with drug menace with an ‘iron hand’.
Drug Addiction Drug addiction is a condition of being addicted to a drug, particularly narcotic drugs. These are generally illegal drugs that affect the mood and behaviour of a person. The practice of consuming the drugs is known as substance abuse.
Major drugs abused in India: 1.     Alcohol

2.     Toddy

3.     Illicit liquor

4.     Alprazolam

5.     Betel Quid (Ghutka)

6.     Heroin (chitta)

7.     Opium

8.     Tramadol

9.     Poppy husk (bhukki)

10.  Cannabis (bhang/sukha)

11.  Marijuana (Ganja/smack)

12.  Buprenorphine

13.  Codeine

14.  Hashish (Charas)

15.  Cocaine.
The most commonly injected drugs: 1.     Buprenorphine

2.     Propoxyphene, and

3.     Heroin
Nature of drugging 1.     Inhaled

2.     Injected

3.     Urban or rural phenomenon

4.     Sharing

5.     Consumed by any one –  Children | Youth | Old aged | men | women | LGBT
Reasons for the drug addiction: 1.     To be accepted by the peers.

2.     Increasing economic stress.

3.     Changing cultural values.

4.     Experimentation.

5.     Neurotic pleasure.

6.     Ineffective Policing.

7.     Unemployment and disguised employment

8.     Quick and easy money
Effects of drug addiction: Short-term effects:

a.      Change in heart rate

b.     Change in blood pressure

c.      Heart attack

d.     Stroke

e.      Psychosis

f.      Change in appetite

The long-term effects:

a.      Heart disease

b.     Lung disease

c.      Cancer

d.     AIDS

e.      Hepatitis

Social Impact:

a.      Loss of reputation

b.     Fear

c.      Increase in crime

d.     Loss of human resource

e.      Affects social relations

f.      Psychological weakness.

g.     Emotional and social problems

h.     Financial burden

i.       Domestic violence increases
Initiatives to tackle Drug abuse: 1.     Article 47 in the Directive principles of state policy seeks the state to prohibit the intoxicant drugs and drinks.

2.     Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940

3.     Enactment of The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, (NDPS) 1985 as amended in 1988, 2001 and 2014.

4.     Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PITNDPS), 1988

5.     NCB

6.     Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)

7.     Customs Department.

8.     National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse was created to meet the expenditure incurred in connection with combating illicit traffic in Narcotic Drugs; rehabilitating addicts, and educating the public against drug abuse, etc.

9.     Nasha Mukt Bharat campaign 2020

10.  The NCB is also part of various bilateral and multilateral initiatives such as the SAARC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (SDOMD).
Nasha Mukt Bharat Action Plan 2020-21 It is implemented by the ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

3 pronged strategies of Nasha Mukt Bharat:

1.     Treatment through the Health Departments.

2.     Outreach/Awareness by Social Justice

3.     Narcotics Bureau

Main Components:

1.     Awareness generation programs in University Campuses Higher Education institutions, and schools.

2.     Building capacity for service providers

3.     Focus on Treatment facilities in Hospital Settings.

4.     Identification of dependent population and community outreach.
International Treaties signed by India a.      United Nations (UN) Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961)

b.     United Nations (UN) Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971).

c.      United Nations (UN) Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988)

d.     Transnational Convention Crime (2000)
Initiatives by the Telangana government 1.     Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) established in 2023.

2.     ANB provided a budget of ₹50 crore

3.     Sanction of an additional force of 170.

4.     266 Narcotics Detection Dogs (NDDs) will be deployed across the State

5.     Using artificial intelligence-based Mitra App to identify drug addicts in the State

6.     11 de-addiction centres

7.     08 rehabilitation centres

8.     Prahari Clubs in schools constituted in 2024

9.     TS Cop App

10.  Intense crack down by the TG ANB

11.  The hashtags #SayNoToDrugs and #DrugsFreeTelangana
Failure of the measures:  

Despite several measures, there is no decline in the drug abuse. The reasons are –

 a.      Drug peddling

b.     Drug smuggling across the international borders

c.      Youth considering the consumption of drug as fashionable

d.     Inadequate rehabilitation centres.

e.      Inadequate campaign against drug abuse.

f.      Peddlers using the technology (Dark web, chatbots and crypto currency)

g.     Desire for experimenting with drugs out of curiosity

h.     Influence of cinema and media

i.       Enforcement agencies are plagued by corruption
Measures to be taken: 1.     Drug addicts should not be viewed as culprits but as victims.

2.     Strengthening the family system

3.     Anti narcotic officials should leverage the technology to deal with the peddlers.

4.     Create more number of de addiction centres

5.     Adopting Meira Paibi (Torch Bearers) experiment of Manipur in the rest of the country.
Conclusion A comprehensive approach, involving severe penalties, initiatives of the government, crack down by the police and active public participation will create a drug free society.

 

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