Drug control: initiatives from India

Abstract

The South Asian region, including India, faces an increased prevalence of illicit drug use. Key challenges include rising opioid use, injecting drug use and spread of stimulant use from some pockets to other regions of the country. Challenges faced are poor surveillance, lack of evidence-based and structured prevention programmes, wide treatment gaps and inadequate social capital for reintegration of substance users into society. The drug control efforts in India have resulted in an improved drug offence surveillance system, increased community awareness, a growing network of drug treatment centres and resource-building measures. India has made pioneering efforts in the field of harm reduction in the South Asian region. The steps taken have the potential of applicability across other South Asian, as well as most low- and middle-income, countries around the world.

Keywords: Drug policy; India; drug and narcotics control; illicit drugs; substance use.

Fig. 1

Division of responsibilities among various government bodies according to India's National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS), 2012. MOSJ&E, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; MOH&FW, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; ATFs, addiction treatment facilities; DTCs, drug treatment clinics.