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Punjab brings down age for OOAT treatment for drug addicts to 16
This means addicts aged 16 and above will no longer need to be admitted at rehab centres and can get treatment while living at their own homes and attending school as normal. Until now, OOAT treatment was allowed only for those above the age of 18 while underage addicts had to be admitted to rehab centres throughout their treatment, with an attendant present.
The Punjab government has decided to reduce the minimum age to receive treatment at government-run Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centres from 18 to 16 years.
This means addicts aged 16 and above will no longer need to be admitted at rehab centres and can get treatment while living at their own homes and attending school as normal. Until now, OOAT treatment was allowed only for those above the age of 18 while underage addicts had to be admitted to rehab centres throughout their treatment, with an attendant present.
The state has 526 OOAT facilities.
The fresh move was necessitated in view of the rising number of children struggling with substance abuse across the state.
According to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment’s report titled “Drug abuse among young persons: Problems and solutions, tabled in Parliament in 2023, there are 6.97 lakh children, aged between 10 and 17 years, who are hooked to drugs in Punjab. Of these, 18,100 children are consuming cocaine. Around 3.43 lakh children are taking opioid drugs, including heroin. The report further revealed that 72,000 children are taking ‘inhalants’ in the state.
A medical officer posted at one of the OOATs said, “There has been an uptick in drug abuse among teenagers, especially among rural areas. In most cases, the children are between 16 and 18 years. But some cases, they are even aged 14 or 15.”
Confirming the development, a senior health official, pleading anonymity, said, “The decision was made after the experts’ approval. This will help more underage drug addicts continue their treatment living their normal life.”
Though NACO’s guidelines indicate that buprenorphine is considered safe for individuals above the age of 12, the use under the age of 18 has not been as extensively studied on adults and therefore experts have opined that Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) programme have to be used with caution.
“Informed consent from a parent or guardian is essential before initiating OST in this age group,” said a psychiatrist.
