Manipur Social Welfare director Ng Uttam on Saturday stressed the need of balancing the supply reduction along with demand reduction and harm reduction to successfully tackle drug menace in Manipur while pointing out that supply reduction alone cannot overcome drug menace.
He was speaking as a resource person on the topic "Importance of demand reduction on drug policy" during a one-day media awareness workshop on "Media Focus on Demand Reduction as a part of War on Drugs" held at Hotel Sangai Continental at Imphal.
According to the director, focusing only on demand reduction will not be successful to tackle drug menace. He cited various disadvantages that arose out of supply reduction such as unavailability of cough syrup ‘Phensedyl’ and morphine injections which are used in treatment of serious medical conditions, even with doctor prescriptions.
With regards to the common view of considering drug or substance abusers as a criminal particularly by the law enforcing agencies, he suggested that the abusers should be treated more as a medical or health issue and focus on giving scientific mode of treatment.
There are reports about drug use by a 12-year-old boy, he informed, adding that the issue of drug menace in the state is very alarming especially among the youths. Moreover, drug treatment among youngsters is more difficult, he added.
He further pointed out that curiosity and peer pressure among youths and the breaking down of community fabric are the main reasons for being indulged in drugs.
The breaking down of community fabric, especially in the urban area, makes the youth to care less about his or her surroundings other than their family members, so it has become a reason for using abusive substances openly without any hesitation or fear, he explained.
Admitting that the state government does not have a clear survey report on the numbers of substance users and its details in the state, he said that the state government is being relying on sample study data collected by the Ministry of Social Justice in 2019 under its project "Magnitude of Substance Uses in India."
According to that data, the number of people using alcohol in the category of ‘current use’ is 22.4 per cent, ‘dependent use’ is 3.8 per cent and those in need of treatment are 9 per cent. While the number of people using opioids in the category of ‘current use’ is 14.22 per cent, ‘dependent use' is 1.8 per cent and those in need of treatment are 4 per cent.
Considering the date of the ministry, the treatment of alcohol abuse in de-addiction centres in the state is very low, he informed.
In order to acquire updated and clear data, the Social Welfare department is planning to conduct a survey very soon, he added.
The director also announced that a rehab centre dedicated to transgenders will be coming up shortly at Khurai in Imphal East and another government rehab centre for male at Lilong in Thoubal district.
The chief minister had also mooted the establishment of state government’s rehab centres in all the 60 constituencies and other necessary places by renovating the utilised government's buildings, added Uttam.
