Lok Sabha Question No. 1241 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-28
Subject: Drug Abuse
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: AJAY (TENI) MISRA

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT**

**LOK SABHA**

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#### UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †1241

#### TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2015

**†1241.  DRUG ABUSE**

**SHRI AJAY MISRA TENI:**

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

(a) whether a study conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has revealed a trend of consumption of drugs in the North Eastern region;

(b) if so, the details of the findings thereof State-wise; and

(c) the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?

**ANSWER**

MINISTER OF STATE FOR Social Justice and Empowerment

**(SHRI VIJAY SAMPLA)**

(a) & (b): The last Survey on the extent, pattern and trends of drug abuse in India was conducted by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, during the year 2000-2001 (report published in 2004). It revealed that Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Western Rajasthan were the regions of high prevalence of opiate use.

(c):  This Ministry implements Central Sector Scheme of Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drugs) Abuse under which financial assistance is provided to NGOs /Voluntary organizations for running Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs), organizing de-addiction camps and conducting awareness programmes about the ill effects of Alcoholism and Substance (Drugs) Abuse to provide composite integrated services for the rehabilitation of addicts including the youth. The Department has taken the following steps to create awareness in society including the youth about the ill-effects of alcoholism and drug abuse:-

(i) International Day against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking is observed on 26 th June each year. As part of this programme, rallies, painting campaign, workshops, seminars etc are organized at the National as well as State level.

(ii) The National Institute for Social Defence, under the Ministry in collaboration with Regional Resource and Training Centres and other collaborating partners organizes sensitization programme in Schools and Colleges and skill development programme for its target group.

(iii) Information regarding ill-effects of alcoholism and drug abuse is also disseminated in regional languages through the All India Radio programme “Sanwrti Jayen Jeevan Ki Rahen” and also through advertisements in news papers.

(iv) In the year 2011-12, the Ministry had conducted an awareness generation programmes in some districts of Punjab and Manipur through Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), an Autonomous Organization under the Ministry of Youth Affairs. In October 2014, the Ministry has again assigned the task of awareness generation in Punjab to NYKS.

(v) This year the Ministry celebrated the International Day against Drugs Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 th June, 2015 by holding a function and organizing an exhibition to sensitize the people about the ill effects of drug abuse.

(vi) With a view to sensitize the people in North East and strengthen the drug awareness programme, the Ministry in collaboration with National Service Scheme (NSS) organized a Regional Workshop of NSS coordinators from 15.6.2015 to 17.6.2015 at Shillong.  About 500 volunteers participated in the inaugural function and the workshop was attended by approximately 60 participants from North East, Odisha and West Bengal.

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