INDIA OBSERVES INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE
The country is today
observing the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking in order to focus the attention of the communities
against this serious problem. This year’s theme is ‘Let us talk
about Drugs’. The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr.
Satyanarayan Jatiya has described the theme as very apt as initiating
a broad-based dialogue on this issue would help in removing silence
and stigma attached to it. He as said that we will have to address
the potential causes of the problem and evolve a composite approach
in tackling it. Addressing a function on the eve of the International
Day against Drug Abuse, Dr. Jatiya disclosed that his Ministry
has taken up with the State Governments the issue of setting up
model centres in rural and urban areas for providing integrated
rehabilitation services. These would include outreaching the addicts,
providing counseling, treatment and rehabilitation.
The Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment, being nodal Ministry for prevention and
control of drug abuse, provides financial assistance to NGOs for
setting up de-addiction cum rehabilitation centres. About 400
voluntary organisations are provided 90% grant-in-aid for running
300 De-addiction cum rehabilitation centres and 90 Counseling
and Awareness Centres all over the country. The Ministry has increased
allocation from Rs. 19 crores to Rs. 25 crores during the last
four years for the scheme on prevention of drug abuse. As a result
the number of addicts benefiting from the Scheme has increased
from 2.26 lakh in 1998-99 to over 4 lakh at present. An allocation
of Rs. 140.30 crore has been provided under this programme for
the 10th Plan period.
The SJ&E Ministry
is also collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
for convergence and integration of services for TB, HIV/AIDs/STDs
and other medical complications related to alcohol/drug abuse.
100 Drug Treatment-cum-Rehabilitation Centres funded by the SJ&E
Ministry are being provided with an additional field worker for
HIV/AIDs prevention activities. This is being done under a collaborative
agreement between the Ministry and the National AIDS Control Organisation,
NACO.
To further strengthen
the community based programmes, the Ministry has initiated three
projects in collaboration with the United Nations International
Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and the ILO. These project initiatives
which are nearing completion include community wide Demand Reduction
in India,Community wide Demand Reduction in North Eastern States
and National Survey on Trends, Extent and Patterns of Drug Abuse
in the country. The project on National Survey is the first of
its kind in the country and would provide an authoritative database
on the drug profile of the country to facilitate appropriate policy
formulation and effective programme interventions.
