Lok Sabha Question No. 1388 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-26
Subject: Data on Drug Abuse
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: ASADUDDIN OWAISI

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

## 1388. DATA ON DRUG ABUSE

## SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

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

- (a) whether as a signatory to various international control treaties, the Government is obliged to send data on drug abuse in the country to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) every year; drug
- (6) if the details thereof; SO,
- (c) whether the Government is sending the data since 2001 and this year World Report once shows no data available in  regard to India and if SO, the   reaction of the Government thereto; Drug again
- (d) the reasons for not sending latest data to the UNODC;
- (e whether the Government has failed to assess the scenario of abuse in the country; and drug
- (f) if the corrective steps taken or taken by the Government in this regard? being SO,

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI VIJAY SAMPLA)

(a) & (6): Department of Revenue has informed that under the provisions of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Rules, 1985, Section 67D. Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau has been notified as the competent officer to submit all reports and returns which are required to be submitted under any International Convention:

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has informed that aS per the 53rd Session of the Commission on Narcotic in December 2010, Member States adopted a revised Annual Report Questionnaire (ARQ) which also includes the data on abuse. Accordingly, NCB is sending data to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the form of Annual Report Questionnaire (ARQ) Part III of the ARQ is related to "Extent and Patterns of and Trends in Use" which has already been submitted to UNODC for the year 2014. Drugs; drug Drug

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1388 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2016

(c)to(f): The    last   National  Survey on the extent,  pattern and trend of drug  abuse was conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in the year 2000-2001 and its report was published in 2004. In 2007 , the Ministry had requested National  Sample Survey Office (NSSO) to conduct a nationwide survey on extent, pattern and trend of alcohol and drug abuse. Accordingly, the NSSO had conducted a pilot survey in the cities of Amritsar; Imphal and Mumbai in MarchApril 2010. The report of the pilot survey was   received from NSSO on 05.01.2011. On examination of the report of the Pilot Survey, certain issues relating to under estimation, noncoverage of certain age groups etc, were raised and a more comprehensive and extended pilot survey was suggested. The National  Statistical Commission (NSC) in its meeting held on 06.09.2013 has   observed that no purpose would be   served by conducting the proposed Advanced Pilot Survey and suggested that the methodology and the sampling design may be looked afresh: Thereafter , a Working Group was constituted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, with NSSO as nodal organization to devise the modalities of advanced pilot survey in the States of Punjab and Manipur:

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation had informed on 30.03.2015 that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment can conduct the survey through the help of NGOs on the pattern of earlier pilot survey done in the year 2010. The NSSO would provide all the necessary support if required.

The Ministry has recently assigned the work of conducting the National Survey o Extent and Pattern of Substance Use to the National Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIl India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. Drug

*****