Lok Sabha Question No. 2328 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-02
Subject: Drug Abuse
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: P.R. SUNDARAM, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2328

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.01.2018

## DRUG ABUSE

## 2328. SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  data  regarding  the  number  of  drug  abuse  cases  reported across the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  requested  all  the  States  to  identify  vulnerable  districts  that reported high number of drug abuse cases and are underserved by the current healthcare system, if so, the details thereof and the response of the State Governments thereto;
- (c) whether there is shortage of doctors to treat drug addicts;
- (d)  if  so,  whether the  Government  plans  to train  doctors  in  all  Government  hospitals  over the next five years to treat addicts of substance abuse and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to bring in a National policy to fight drug addiction?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(SHRI VIJAY  SAMPLA)

- (a):  The last National Survey on the extent, pattern and trend of drug abuse was sponsored by Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  and  conducted  by  the  United  Nations  Office  on Drugs  and  Crime  in  the  year  2000-2001.  The  report  was  published  in  2004.    The  Survey estimated that about 7.32 Crore persons in India were users of alcohol and drugs. Of these 87 lakh  used  Cannabis,  20  lakh  used  opiates  and  6.25  Crore  were  users  of  Alcohol.  The  survey covered  40,697  individuals.  Only  males  within  the  age  group  of  12-60  years  were  part  of  the Survey.

The  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  is  now  undertaking  a  National  level Survey in collaboration with National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in August, 2016. The survey will provide national and state-level estimates of proportion and absolute number of individuals using various drugs and suffering from substance use disorders.

(b): The Ministry has issued an Advisory on 11.08.2016 to all the States/UTs on combating drug abuse  which,  inter-alia,  includes    preparation  of  action  plan  by  all  States/UTs  for  ensuring facility  of  de-addiction  centres  in  each  district  or  as  per  prevalence  of  addiction,  ensuring adequate  facilities  in  every  government  hospital  in  next  five  years  with  priority  to  severely affected/underserved  regions  and  districts,  assessing  the  need  and  ensuring  increase  in  the number  of  Integrated  Rehabilitation  Centres  for  Addicts  and  Regional  Resource  &  Training Centres, establishing separate and specialized de-addiction treatment centres/facilities  for drug dependent  females,  ensuring  availability  of  treatment  for  those  in  Juvenile  Homes,  Children Homes  and  Prisons,  adopting  approaches  for  education  and  prevention  at  all  levels  including schools  and  colleges  etc.  So  far,  this  Ministry  has  received  action  plans  from  Nineteen  State Governments/Union Territory Administrations.

(c): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have informed that there is a shortage of doctors to treat drug addicts.

(d): As informed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, currently, a super-specialization course  'DM  (Addiction  Psychiatry)',  to  create  super-specialist  doctors  for  treatment  of  drug addiction,  is  offered  through  three  premier  Institutes  under  them,  i.e.  All  India  Institutes  of Medical  Sciences,  New  Delhi,  National  Institutes  of  Mental  Health  and  Neuro  Sciences, Bangalore and Postgraduate Institutes of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh.

Under the 'Drug Treatment Clinic (DTC)' Scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government hospitals are financially supported to provide treatment of substance use disorders  through  outpatient  clinics  and  training  is  provided  to  doctors  for  treatment  of  drug addicts.

(e): The Ministry has already formulated a draft National Policy on Drug Demand Reduction and the same is being finalized.

****