Soon, an anti-narco policy to look at curbing demand

In a bid to rein in demand, the National Policy for Drug Demand Reduction proposes to develop over the next one year a drug abuse monitoring system that will have detailed records on all drug-dependent people.

MARKING A shift from merely controlling the supply of illicit drugs in the country to an emphasis on demand-side curbs, the Centre is set to come out with a comprehensive National Policy for Drug Demand Reduction.

Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot said the policy has been drafted and his ministry is in the post-consultation stage with many states. “It is currently under consideration with the Prime Minister’s Office. In 2012, we had a similar policy but it was mainly about ways to stop the supply of drugs. The new policy will focus on stopping drug abuse,” he told The Indian Express.

Gehlot said the problem is particularly acute in states such as Punjab and Manipur.

The draft policy talks about the need to treat drug (substance) abuse as a “psychosocial-medical problem, which requires a combination of medical treatment and psychosocial intervention”. The policy is aimed at checking abuse of illicit drugs (cannabis, opioids, heroin), pharmaceutical drugs and chemical preparations (inhalants, tranquillisers).

This is to be done through preventive education, medical and psychiatric intervention, rehabilitation and reintegration of addicts along with providing support to their families.

“We have recently appointed AIIMS to conduct an updated study on the extent of drug abuse in the country,” Gehlot said.

In a bid to rein in demand, the National Policy for Drug Demand Reduction proposes to develop over the next one year a drug abuse monitoring system that will have detailed records on all drug-dependent people.

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