E-Paper
Drug abuse alarming among Punjab’s youth, says NCB zonal director
According to the report, among adults aged 18–75 years in the state, an estimated 73.31 lakh consume alcohol, 30.68 lakh use cannabis and 21.36 lakh use opioids.
Nearly seven lakh children aged between 10 and 17 years in Punjab are estimated to be using drugs, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has said, flagging an alarming substance abuse crisis among the state’s youth.
Addressing a gathering at the Swadeshi Mela at Punjab Agricultural University on Saturday, NCB zonal director Amanjit Singh termed the situation “grave”, citing findings from the 51st Report (2022–23) of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on social justice and empowerment.
Quoting data drawn from a comprehensive national survey conducted in 2018, Singh pointed to a sharp rise in the consumption of opioids, inhalants and sedatives in Punjab, with cocaine also steadily gaining ground.
According to the report, among adults aged 18–75 years in the state, an estimated 73.31 lakh consume alcohol, 30.68 lakh use cannabis and 21.36 lakh use opioids. The figures also include 9.93 lakh sedative users, 1.87 lakh inhalant users, and 1.50 lakh cocaine users.
The data further reveals worrying trends among children aged 10–17 years, with an estimated 3.43 lakh opioid users, 1.43 lakh cannabis users, 93,000 sedative users, 72,000 inhalant users, 28,800 amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) users, and 18,100 cocaine users.
Calling for collective public action to combat the menace, Singh said the Centre has set a target of achieving a ‘Drug-Free India’ by 2047. He added that the NCB is intensifying efforts through prevention campaigns and strict enforcement measures. He also urged citizens to make use of the 24×7 MANAS narcotics helpline (1933) to report drug-related activities or seek assistance anonymously.
