Table of Content:

1. Introduction

2. National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).

a) Objectives of the NAPDDR.

b) Preventive Education and Awareness Generation.

c) Capacity building programs.

d) Treatment and Rehabilitation.

e) Focus Intervention in vulnerable areas.

f) Skill development, vocational training and livelihood support of ex- drug addicts.

g) Programs for Drug Demand reduction by States/ Union territories.

3. Conclusion

1) INTRODUCTION

Drug abuse is now a threat throughout the world. There is no area of the world that is free from the curse of drug addiction. It has enormous presence on public health across various sections of society. The level of drug abuse among younger generations in India has reached alarming levels. Addiction to alcohol or drugs not only affects the individual but also the family and society at large. However, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances have several medical and scientific uses.

India’s approach towards Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances is enshrined in Article 47 of the Constitution of India which mandates that the ‘The State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties and, in particular, the State shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health.’

India signed three UN Conventions namely, (i) Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961 (ii) Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971, and (iii) Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988.

The Government of India has enacted the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the year 1985 for the control and regulation of operations relating to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The Government of India has also brought out a National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) in 2012 as a guide to various Ministries/Departments, State Governments, International Organisations, NGOs, etc. and re-assert India’s commitment to combat the drug menace in a holistic manner. To reduce the drug demand the policy lists out the role of various Ministries/Departments which include conducting National Survey on Drug Abuse, training of doctors in Government Hospitals in de-addiction. Supporting other hospitals in setting up de-addiction and treatment facilities etc.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has been implementing a Central Sector Scheme of Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drugs) Abuse since 1985-86. The National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), New Delhi, is the nodal training and research Institute for inventions in the area of Social Defence which has set up the National Centre for Drug Abuse Prevention (NCDAP) since 1998.

The Ministry has prepared a National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction for 2018-2025 so far as to focus on preventive education, awareness generation, identification, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependent persons and training etc.

2) NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION (NAPDDR). (2018-2025)

As per the United Nations Conventions and the existing NDPS Act and NDPS Policy, a National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) has been prepared for 7 years i.e., 2018-2025. It aims at reduction of adverse consequences of drug abuse through a multi-pronged strategy involving education, de-addiction and rehabilitation of affected individuals and their family.

a) Objectives of the NAPDDR.

The objectives of the NAPDDR are as follows:

1. Create awareness and educate people about the consequences of drug abuse on the individual, family, workplace and the society at large.
2. Develop human resources and build capacity for working towards the objectives.

• Conduct research, training, documentation, collection of relevant information to strengthen the above mentioned objectives.

1. Formulate and implement thorough guidelines, schemes, and programs using a multi-agency approach for drug demand reduction.
2. Undertake drug demand reduction efforts to address all forms of drug abuse.
3. Mitigate the consequences of drug dependence amongst individuals, family and society at large.

b) Preventive Education and Awareness Generation.

The purpose of preventive education and awareness generation programs is to target specific target groups in their neighborhood, educational institutions, workplace, slums etc. with the purpose of sensitizing the target groups and the community about the impact of addiction and the need to take professional help for treatment. The Central Ministries, State Governments, Universities, NGOs, etc., would collaborate with these programs to carry out.

Preventive education programs should start at the school level and continue with college students. In these programs high risk groups like commercial sex workers, tourists, truck drivers, children of alcoholics and drug addicts, children of HIV affected parents, street children, prisoners and school dropouts should be addressed. The awareness programs should be appropriate to the local culture and in the local language.

Preventive education and awareness generation programs can be collaborate with the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), National Service Scheme (NSS), Universities, Social Work Institutions, etc. These programs can also publicize through online media.

c) Capacity Building Programs

Capacity building programs would be undertaken to provide intensive training to personnel in the identification, treatment, after-care, rehabilitation and social reintegration of drug addicts. NAPDDR provides training to the teachers and counsellors on different assessment tools for early identification of drug use and associated factors under these programs. It conducts workshops, seminars and interactions with parents. It also conducts orientation courses in the field of drug abuse prevention for functionaries of IRCAs including nurses and ward boys. It gives any other training or skill development which furthers the other objectives.

Financial assistance shall be provided for carrying out capacity building programs in collaboration with the concerned Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations/ Institutions of the Government of India as well as State Governments.

d) Treatment and Rehabilitation.

The NAPDDR focuses on availability of IRCAs in each district, drug addiction treatment facilities in Government Hospitals and closed settings such as prisons, juvenile homes etc. NAPDDR also focus on establishing and assisting de-addiction centres in Government Hospitals and Medical Colleges and in closed setting such as prisons, juvenile homes and for special groups such as women and children in need for care and protection etc.

e) Focused Intervention in vulnerable areas.

Drug and substances abuse is one of the major problems which affects children and youth in school and out of school or college. It will impact negatively on the academic, social, psychological, and economical among the abusers.

The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implementing these intervention programs to offer prevention and care services to health risk populations such as Female Sex Workers (FSWs), Male having Sex with Male (MSM) by providing them with the information and skills they need to minimise HIV transmission. Similarly, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment would also undertake focused intervention programs in vulnerable districts across the country to increase community participation and public cooperation in the reduction of demand in such substances.

f) Skill Development, vocational training and livelihood support of ex-drug addicts.

To promote meaningful livelihood and employment and to steer them away from drugs, skill development programs, vocational training and livelihood support of ex-drug addicts would be carried out through National Backward classes Finance and other Development Corporations of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Financial assistance shall be provided to National Backward Classes Finance and other Development Corporations of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, affiliated institutes of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and State Government on the basis of their proposals.

g) Programs for Drug Demand Reduction by States/Union territories.

The State and Union territories, with the support of Central Government, may like to plan and take specific initiatives, taking into account their local considerations. Specific and appropriate strategies can be developed by them to decrease drug demand in their identified areas. In this context, the State or Union Territories may send proposals which meet the objectives of NAPDDR.

The Ministry would apportion a certain amount from the internal budgetary allocation for drug demand reduction programs to be carried out by State or Union territories and release as per the proposals.

3) CONCLUSION

National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) is an umbrella scheme under which all the projects, components and interventions would be converged and implemented in a focused manner with flexible utilization of funds allocated and human resources engaged for the scheme. The main focus of this plan is children and youths, sex workers, prisoners etc. the main objective is to focus preventive education, awareness generation, identification, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of individuals and their family and society as whole. Thus, the Government of India has brought various schemes and programs to combat the drug menace in a holistic manner.

Written by Nireesha Rao

Reference:

1.https://socialjustice.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Scheme_for_NAPDDR.pdf

2.https://grants-msje.gov.in/display-napddr-action-plan

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