Drug Menace

The Supreme Court has stated that drug abuse has captured society and requested some modules that may convert into an Order to address the issue.

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The Court's View on the Drug Problem:

• It is an issue of demand and supply, according to the court's counsel in the case.
• It admitted that the drug mafia is making inroads into society, particularly among young people, posing a "dangerous scenario."

Order of the Court:

• The Supreme Court directed that some common limits be established and an acceptable solution to the matter be found.

The government's reaction:

• The government stated that departments such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence are looking into ways to close loopholes and strengthen preventive measures to combat the threat.
• They are also looking at a "narco-terror angle" in the case.

More information on drug consumption and related issues in India

The following are the most often used medications in India:

• The most often abused substances in India include alcohol, cannabis, opium, and heroin.
• The most often injected pharmaceuticals are buprenorphine, propoxyphene, and heroin.

The Effects of Drug Abuse

Economic potential squandered:

• Leads to the physical, psychological, moral, and intellectual degradation of the nation's youth.

Increase criminal tendencies:

• The illegal production and distribution of narcotics has resulted in crime and violence all across the world.

Social Issues:

• Domestic violence is on the rise, divorce is on the rise, and ethical norms in society are deteriorating.
• Diverting resources away from communicable and other diseases and toward drug misuse.

India's Drug Trafficking:

• For the last three decades, India has served as a transit and destination for heroin and hashish manufactured in the Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent.
• The illicit two-way flow of these medicines and chemicals not only breaches Indian borders but also poses a serious threat to national security.

The seriousness of the situation

• Post-Pandemic scenario: According to the court's adviser in the case, the drug problem has gotten worse since the pandemic.
• Persons participating in the drug trade, both pushers and users, employ sophisticated ways to deal with drugs.
• Narcotics are transported using courier and postal services.

Threat information:

• Distribution networks have become more organized, methodical, and ubiquitous.
• Narcotics worth 30,000 crore have been seized in recent months.
• According to reports from the Narcotics Control Bureau, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Comptroller and Auditor General, and even the AIIMS, a "significant population" was addicted to drugs.

Data from the highest courts:

Several High Courts across the country have previously recognised the drug mafia's shadow influence on society.

• The Madras High Court noted the extensive effect of drug peddlers in schools, institutions, and other public areas in 2020.
• The Punjab and Haryana High Court has been hearing a case about Punjab's chronic drug problem for some time.
• The Kerala High Court ordered the state government to set up campus police units in educational institutions.

Measures taken by the government to combat the drug problem

India has taken a comprehensive approach to lowering both supply and demand for narcotics and drugs.

The approach consists of four components:

• first, passing laws;
• second, maintaining physical security of borders and coasts;
• third, eliciting cooperation from neighbours;
• and fourth, collaborating with voluntary organisations in the national effort to prevent narcotics and synthetic drug consumption.

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985

• The Narcotic Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) of 1985 was enacted to combat drug misuse by outlawing the use, distribution, manufacturing, and exchange of drugs.

The Act contains provisions for:

• Cannabis, poppy, and coca plant farming, as well as the production of psychoactive compounds in association with the cultivation of these plants.

Objective:

• Its major goal is to regulate the production, possession, sale, and transportation of medicines classified as narcotics or psychotropics.

Outcomes:

• This act prohibits the selling of 200 psychoactive substances to walk-in clients.
• These medications can only be obtained with a prescription.
• Since its inception, the law has been amended numerous times.

National Drug Abuse Control Fund

• The fund was established under a provision of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985.
• According to the Act, the fund would be utilised to combat drugs trafficking, rehabilitate addicts, and discourage drug usage.

Seizure Information Management System (SIMS):

• In order to digitise pan-India drug seizure data, the MHA created an e-portal named 'SIMS' in 2019 for all drug law enforcement agencies mandated by the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS).
• It has the authority to charge persons in cases involving the illicit use and supply of narcotics.
• India is a signatory to several international drug-related UN conventions, and NCB is also responsible for enforcing the provisions of these international accords.
• The Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment just established the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan website.

Way Forward

• Promoting evidence-based therapies is a must if we are to reduce drug demand and supply.
• Prevention programmes that involve groups such as families, schools, and the local community are critical in this regard.
• The media can play an important role in raising awareness about drug usage.

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