NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is planning to launch a ‘drug-free’ campaign in over 250 districts across India in April. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has given a list to the ministry on the vulnerable areas in the country. The list compiled is from the ‘drug trafficking perspective’ and the vulnerable areas that have emerged from the data of seizures by drug law enforcement agencies.
“The schemes running earlier lacked geographical focus. The current campaign would be launched with a three-pronged approach. It would integrate the different agencies, ministries and departments in order to clamp down on drug abuse,” said a senior ministry official.
The list of vulnerable areas provided by the NCB include Nellore, Warangal in Andhra Pradesh, Roing in Arunachal Pradesh, Silchar in Assam, Raxaul, Bhabhua, Sasaram, Motihari, Sitamarhi in Bihar, Ambikapur in Chattisgarh, Gandhidham, Palanpur in Gujarat, and Uttam Nagar, Sant Nagar, Khirki Extension in Delhi, among others.
In Haryana, the areas of Kaithal, Pehova, Pinjore are vulnerable, the list said. The other vulnerable areas include Phalodi, Pushkar, Chomela in Rajasthan, Dimpaur, Mon, Kohima in Nagaland, Kochi, Trichur in Kerala, and Gudda, Palamu and Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, the list added. The Minstry of Social Justice and Empowerment will closely work with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the NCB in order to carry out the exercise. Demand detection of drugs in the states would be an important element of the programme.
Alcohol Most Common Drug
A report ‘Prevalence and Extent Substance Abuse in India’ with AIIMS’s National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre last year found alcohol to be the most commonly abused psychoactive substance.