Punjab’s Drug Problem: What The Government’s Survey Has Found

But like any other socio-cultural issue, the intensity of the problem cannot be judged in the absence of some real numbers.

Over the last couple of decades, drug consumption has been steadily rising in Punjab to the point that some experts have even used the term ‘epidemic’ to describe it. But like any other socio-cultural issue, the intensity of the problem cannot be judged in the absence of some real numbers. In 2015, a study was commissioned by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), Government of India to estimate the numbers of opioid dependent individuals in Punjab. The survey was conducted by Society for Promotion of Youth & Masses (SPYM) and a team of researchers from National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS, New Delhi in collaboration with Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Punjab.

The survey was conducted in 10 districts: Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Sangria and Tarn Taran. During the course of this study, a total of 3620 opioid dependent individuals were interviewed. You can read the detailed findings here

Here are the key highlights from the Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey: