As Punjab heads towards another Assembly election, drugs remain a major concern for voters. Teenagers hooked on opioids, heroin arriving by drone and thousands of trafficking cases booked every year should leave little room for political self-congratulation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has promised to make the state drug-free by the end of 2029. The pressing question is how the trade has survived years of police action. Official data released in February 2026 put the number of opioid users in Punjab at 21.36 lakh adults and 3.43 lakh children.
Drones are used to smuggle high-value narcotics from across the border. In 2025, Punjab recorded 298 of India’s 305 drone-related drug cases. But bringing down a drone does not stop the smuggling. Someone still has to pick up the consignment, move it along the supply chain and deliver it to buyers. The real task for the police is to find those who run the business. Otherwise, another shipment would follow a seizure. Drugs also come into Punjab from other states, so checks along the international border alone would not solve the problem.
The problem is compounded by the trafficking of prescription drugs. Opioid medicines and codeine-based cough syrups are easily available. Authorities must trace these supply chains, too. The killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa on October 13, while he was live-streaming his confrontation with a chemist allegedly selling banned substances, highlights the dangers of confronting the drug trade.
Addiction is a problem that requires long-term care beyond initial treatment. Admissions to Punjab’s government de-addiction centres rose from 9,577 in 2024 to 25,290 in 2025. Behind these figures are people and families struggling with addiction. Support must continue after patients leave the centre, with regular counselling, medication, family support and steps to prevent relapse.
When drugs reach street corners and residential colonies across Punjab, the menace is at people’s doorsteps. Today, the lure of easy money draws hawkers and daily-wage earners into the trade. It has spread across different walks of life, making the supply network harder to trace. The Union and Punjab governments must work together regardless of political differences. The ultimate anti-drug shield is employment. Vocational training, rural industrialisation and local job creation must become priorities. A drug-free Punjab must be earned through sustained enforcement, accountable governance, effective treatment and meaningful livelihood opportunities.