SHIMLA: In an initiative to offer a chance of reformation to those drug users caught with small quantities of narcotics, the Himachal Pradesh police have decided that instead of prosecuting them, they should be treated as patients if they volunteer for medical treatment.
The state police chief, DGP Atul Verma, confirmed that it is for the first time Section 64 A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act is being implemented in the hill state.
This section provides immunity from prosecution to drug addicts who volunteer for medical treatment. At the same time, this section also provides that the immunity from prosecution may be withdrawn if the addict does not undergo the complete treatment for de-addiction.
As of now, the drug addicts are charged under Section 27 of the NDPS Act, which provides for punishment for consumption of any narcotic drug or any psychotropic substance.
Initially, the Himachal police have identified 22 drug addicts caught with small quantities of drugs who will now be treated as patients and offered treatment at de-addiction centres. The number of drug smuggling cases have witnessed an increase in the hills state in the past few years.
In its war against narcotics and smugglers, the Himachal police have arrested as many as 356 accused drug smugglers or peddlers this year till September 19 in total 180 cases registered under the NDPS Act. Out of these arrested accused, 86 are from outside Himachal, including 42 from Punjab and 20 from Nepal. The total number of registered FIRs under the NDPS Act in Himachal has seen a rise from 644 in the year 2014 to 2,147 in 2023.
Pb implemented rule last yearThe Punjab Police had in September 2023 taken a decision to implement Section 64 A of the NDPS Act.
As many as 295 drug consumers, caught with small quantities of drugs, in 245 cases have availed provision of Section 64-A by pledging to undergo the rehabilitation treatment in Punjab in the last one year.
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