Hyderabad: The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed on June 26 every year to strengthen global action and cooperation towards achieving the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was first observed by the UN General Assembly in 1987, and aims to raise awareness to fight against substance abuse, along with the unlawful trade of drugs.
2020: Better Knowledge for Better Care
This year, the theme for the international day is "Better Knowledge for Better Care." It stresses upon the need to improve the understanding of the world drug problem and how in turn, better knowledge will foster greater international cooperation for countering its impact on health, governance and security.
Drug Abuse in India:
Over the last couple of decades, drug consumption has become one of the gravest problems affecting the children and youth of the country. In February 2019, the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi submitted its report "Magnitude of Substance Use in India" that was sponsored by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
According to the report, more than half of drug and alcohol abuse cases in India are from Assam, Delhi, Haryana, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh that have a high prevalence of drug abuse and disorders.
Besides, Punjab ranks consistently at the top or in the top five in many of the surveys conducted to measure drug abuse and illicit trafficking. To make matters worse, over the past few years, India has become one of the major hubs for illegal trading of narcotics.
How to identify a drug addict - Symptoms of drug addiction
- Repeated abuse of prescription drugs
- Extreme withdrawal symptoms can be observed when the drug wears off
- Ruckus initiating behaviour and constant monetary troubles
- Change in personality (hobbies, interests, behaviour) and mood swings
- Appears anxious, or paranoid
- Constant runny nose, red eyes or injection marks
- Experiencing trouble even with routine menial tasks
- Getting too much or too little sleep
- Drastic changes in relationships can also be observed sometimes
- Abrupt weight changes - sudden weight loss or weight gain
- Tremors, slurred speech
What to do when a loved one falls prey to addiction:
If you observe these signs and suspect that a friend or family member is struggling with a drug problem, get immediate help from your general practitioner or reach out to someone you can confide in. Alternatively, the affected person should be taken to an addiction specialist, who will prescribe various treatment options based on various factors - such as drug addiction history, extent, or family history of drug addiction.
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A medical and psychological assessment will also be carried out to establish whether or not their body and mind have been impacted by drug usage. The treatment will include detox, rehabilitation, therapy, aftercare. This long process will sometimes feel devastating or exhaustive.
National Programmes related to prevention of substance abuse and illicit trafficking :
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE), Government of India are involved in alcohol and drug demand reduction policies and drug de-addiction programme (DDAP) in the country.
- Various e- Health web based programmes related to prevention of substance abuse such as alcohol e-Help (alcoholwebindia.in/intervention) operated by National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS, Delhi and m-Cessation programme (nhp.gov.in/quit-tobacco) for tobacco cessation have been initiated by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
- National AIDS Control Programme (NACP): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has implemented various targeted interventions programme for IDUs such as Needle and syringe programme, and Opioid substitution therapy.
- The MSJE has formulated a central sector scheme of assistance for prevention of alcoholism and substance (drugs) abuse for social defence services, which has been updated in 2015.
- The Department of Revenue, Central Government acts as an administrator of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988;
- The Narcotics Control Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs functions as an enforcement agency for the NDPS Act.
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