Lok Sabha Question No. 616 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-09
Subject: Drug Addiction
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya, Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA ADMITTED UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 616

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2022

## DRUG ADDICTION

## 616.   SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA: SHRI PARBATBHAI SAVABHAI PATEL:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that the drug addiction cases have  been  increasing  in  the  country,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reasons therefor; and
- (b) the details of the effective steps taken/being taken by the Government to check the increasing cases of drug addiction?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a)  As informed by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment there has been a change  in  the  pattern  of  substance  abuse  as  reflected  in  the  National  survey  on Extent, Pattern and Trends of Substance Use done in 2004, and in the Comprehensive National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India conducted in 2018.

As per the Comprehensive National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India conducted in 2018, the details of drug abuse are as under:

|   S.No. | Name of the Substance              | Estimated no. of users (age 10-17 years)   | Estimated no. of users (age 18-75 years)   |
|---------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Alcohol                            | 30,00,000                                  | 15,01,16,000                               |
|       2 | Cannabis                           | 20,00,000                                  | 2,90,18,000                                |
|       3 | Opioids                            | 40,00,000                                  | 1,86,44,000                                |
|       4 | Sedatives                          | 20,00,000                                  | 1,05,80,000                                |
|       5 | Inhalants                          | 30,00,000                                  | 51,25,000                                  |
|       6 | Cocaine                            | 2,00,000                                   | 9,40,000                                   |
|       7 | Amphetamines Type Stimulants (ATS) | 4,00,000                                   | 15,47,000                                  |
|       8 | Hallucinogens                      | 2,00,000                                   | 11,01,000                                  |

- (b)    (A) National  Action  Plan  for  Drug  Demand  Reduction  (NAPDDR)  is  an umbrella  scheme  under  which  financial  assistance  is  provided  to  (i)  'State Governments/ Union Territory (UT) Administrations for Preventive Education and Awareness Generation, Capacity Building, Skill development, vocational training and livelihood support  of  ex-drug  addicts,  Programmes  for  Drug  Demand Reduction by States/UTs etc. and (ii) 'NGOs/VOs for running and maintenance of Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (lRCAs), Community based peer Led lntervention (CPLI) for early Drug Use Prevention among Adolescents, Outreach and Drop In Centres (ODIC) and District De-Addiction Centres (DDACs)'.

## Following Activities have been undertaken under NAPDDR scheme:

- i.  LaunchedNashaMukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) in 372 most vulnerable districts under which a massive community outreach is done through more than 8000 youth volunteers.

ii.  340 Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs) are supported by the Ministry. These IRCAs not only provide for treating the drug victims, but also give services  of  preventive  education,  awareness  generation,  motivational  counselling, detoxification/de-addiction, after care and re-integration into the social mainstream.

iii.  49 Community based Peer led Intervention (CPLI) Centres are supported by the Ministry.  These  CPLIs  focus  on  vulnerable  and  at  risk  children  and  adolescents. Under this, peer educators engage children for awareness generation and    life skill activities.

iv. 73 Outreach and Drop In Centres (ODICs) are supported by the Ministry. These ODICs provide safe and secure space of treatment and rehabilitation for substance users,  with  provision  of  screening,  assessment  and  counselling  and  thereafter provide referral  and  linkage  to  treatment  and  rehabilitation  services  for  substance dependence.

- v. Ministry also supports setting up of 41 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) in some  Government  hospitals,  which   is  implemented  through  AIIMS,  New  Delhi.

vi. A Toll-free Helpline for de-addiction, 14446 is maintained by the Ministry for providing  primary  counseling  and  immediate  referral  services  to  the  persons seeking help through this helpline.

vii.  Ministry  through  its  autonomous  body  National  Institute  of  Social  Defence (NISD) and other collaborating agencies like SCERTs, KendriyaVidyalayaSangathan  etc.  provides  for  regular  awareness  generation  and sensitization sessions for all stakeholders including students, teachers, parents etc.

- (B) Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is running a National 'Drug De-Addiction Programme  (DDAP)'  which  came  into  force  in  1987-88 with  the  objectives  to provide affordable, easily accessible and evidence-based treatment for all substance

use  disorders  through  the  government  health  care  facilities  and  to build  the capacities  of  health  care  staff  in  recognition  and  management  of  substance  use disorders. The programme is implemented through the health institutions under the MoH&FW viz. AIIMS, New Delhi; PGIMER, Chandigarh; NIMHANS, Bengaluru; RML Hospital, New Delhi; AIIMS, Bhubaneswar; and CIP, Ranchi. Out of these six,  the  centre  at  AIIMS,  New  Delhi  (NDDTC)  is  functioning  as  the  National  / Nodal centre and coordinating another major component of the DDAP, the 'DTC Scheme'. Under this scheme, 27 drug treatment clinics are functional in District/Civil Hospital across the country in which OPD Services are provided.

Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare  has  released  the  'Standard  Treatment Guidelines  for  the  Management  of  Substance  Use  Disorders  and  Behavioral Addictions'.  Available  in  the  Ministry's  website   www,mohfw.nic.in.  A 'Pocket Book'  and  an  Addiction-Rx  mobile  App  (android  and iOS)  for  Physicians  for assisting physicians to provide quality care for substance use disorders was released under Drug De-Addiction Programme.