Page 31 - 15MAR2019E

Deadly plague called

addiction hollows nation

One in every seven Indians is an alcohol consumer, according to a national survey on the
magnitude of substance use in India conducted by the AIIMS. Drugs too, the study suggests, are
gripping millions, reports charanjit ahuja
A per cent) are the predominantly con- dians (3.1 crore individuals) report hav-
It finds that about 2.8 per cent of In-
latest national survey
on the “Magnitude of
sumed beverages.
ing used any cannabis product within
Substance use in India”
The AIIMS survey finds that about 5.2
per cent of Indians (more than 5.7 crore
conducted by the pres-
past 12 months (Bhang – 2 per cent or
tigious All India Institute
cent or 1.3 crore people). About 0.66 per
of Medical Sciences has
harmful or dependent alcohol use. In
found that one in every seven Indians people) are estimated to be affected by 2.2 crore people; Ganja/Charas – 1.2 per
other words, every third alcohol user
cent of Indian (or approximately 72 lakh
is an alcohol consumer. in India needs help for alcohol-related individuals) need help for their canna-
The survey, the first in the 15 problems. bis use problems. Though bhang use is
years, finds that at the national level, The states with the high prevalence more common than ganja/charas, the
about 14.6 per cent of people (among of alcohol use are Chhattisgarh, Tripura, prevalence of harmful/dependent use
10-75-year-old) are current users of Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, and Goa. is proportionately higher for ganja/
alcohol, that is about 16 crore people. The states with high prevalence (more charas users.
The current survey is very significant than 10 per cent) of alcohol use disor- The states with the higher than
because the last National Survey on the ders include Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, national prevalence of cannabis use are
extent, pattern, and trend of drug abuse Punjab, Chhattisgarh, and Arunachal Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Sikkim, Chhat-
were conducted way back in the year Pradesh. tisgarh, and Delhi. In some states, the
2000-2001. The report was published in prevalence of cannabis use disorders is
2004 but was not considered compre- considerably higher (more than thrice)
hensive, as it did not state wise, region About 3.1 crore Indians than the national average like Sikkim
wise or area wise estimates. and Punjab.
Confirming the findings of the sur- used cannabis product At the national level, the most com-
vey, Minister of Social Justice and Em- within past 12 months mon opioid used is Heroin, (current use
powerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot 1.14 per cent) followed by Pharmaceuti-
observed that “Use of alcohol and illicit according to the cal opioids (current use 0.96 per cent)
drugs has come to represent yet anoth- and then Opium (current use 0.52 per
er danger for our country over the past report. Approximately cent). Prevalence of current use of opi-
few years. Of late, the menace of drug 72 lakh people need oids overall is 2.06 per cent and about
abuse in the younger generation has 0.55 per cent of Indians are estimated
been rising all over the world and India help for their cannabis to need help for their opioid use prob-
is no exception to it”. Gehlot added that use problems. lems (harmful use and dependence).
the survey involved interviews of more More people are dependent upon Her-
than 5 lakh individuals across all the 36 Though bhang use is oin than Opium and Pharmaceutical
States and UTs of the country and use more common than Opioids.
of multiple approaches to collect data. Of the total estimated approximately
The survey finds that prevalence is 17 ganja or charas, the 60 lakh people with opioid use disor-
times higher among men than women. prevalence of harmful ders (harmful or dependent pattern) in
It finds that among people consuming the country, more than half are contrib-
alcohol in India, Country liquor (‘desi’) use is proportionately uted by just a few states: Uttar Pradesh,
(about 30 per cent) and spirits (IMFL — higher for ganja Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra,
Indian Made Foreign Liquor) (about 30 Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Guja-

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