42 lakh need help in Punjab for substance abuse

CHANDIGARH: More than 42 lakh persons in Punjab are in need of help for their dependence on various types of substance abuse. This is 20% of Punjab’s population studied in the ‘National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India’ focusing on age bracket of 10-75 years, which comes to 2.3 crore out of total 3 crore.



Though the survey does not give the total figure for alcohol and drug users, back of envelope calculations show that the number could easily cross the 1-crore mark in the state. What’s more, Punjab is the only state that ranks high across all type of substance abuse, ranging from alcohol,

opioid

,

cannabis

,

sedative

and even amphetamine type stimulants (ATS).

The reports should come as an eye opener for the Punjab government which did not put aside any money for drug de-addiction and rehabilitation in the recent budget, even though 7.2 lakh people in the state are in “need help for opioid related problems”. Punjab is at rank 2 in India, while UP with a total population of more than 20 crore having 10 lakh persons in the need of help for opioid is at the top.

What should set the alarm bells ringing for the region is the fact that Haryana is at number three with 5.9 lakh out of its total 2.8 crore population in need of help. Even in the case of cannabis, 3.5 lakh persons need treatment in Haryana, which is ranked 7 on this count out of the 36 states and Union Territories in India. If the figures for Haryana are added, more than 12% of its population is also in the need of help for addiction to different substances.

There are several shocking trends in the region revealed in the survey sponsored by the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment and led by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) AIIMS, New Delhi. Punjab has earned the disrepute of ranking at rank 1 with 6% children reporting alcohol abuse. In the category of people who inject drugs (PWID), Punjab is at number 2 and Haryana at 5.