[Public Health] Drug Menace in India, National Policy for Drug Demand Reduction 2014

1. Drug menace in India
2. Existing framework against Drug menace
3. Opium: Legal cultivation in India
4. National Policy for Drug Demand Reduction, 2014
5. Mock questions

Drug menace in India

1. Border security angle: Opium, Heroin, and other narcotic drugs smuggled across border. Punjab is located near the “Golden Crescent” area of Af-Pak narcotic trade.
2. Synthetic drugs: Desi pharma-units making illegal synthetic-drugs such as methamphetamine (nicknamed “ice”). Addicts even use tranquilizers, pain-killers, sedatives and cough-syrups with codeines for getting ‘kicks’.
3. Private de-addiction centres mushroomed like coaching centres. Lack of professionalism, most patients leave without completing the proper rehab course.
4. Syringe-sharing leads to HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis. Khundrapkam Pradipkumar, the famous bodybuilder from Manipur got AIDS infection because of syringe sharing.
5. Nexus among smugglers, police and politicians.
6. 2/3^rd Punjabi rural-households have a drug addict, says Punjab government in High court (2009).
7. 70% of Punjabi youth are drug-addicts (!) says Rahulbaba (2014)
8. 90 lakh Indian use Cannabis (2001 Health ministry report)
9. Majority of drug-junkies located in North East (also responsible for HIV-menace), Rajasthan, Punjab, metro cities and engineering colleges.
10. Drugs are becoming a part of machismo culture and attracting more and more youth through rave parties and peer-pressure.
11. India can’t reap its Demographic dividend if youth is addicted to drugs.

Existing framework against Drug menace

1. Constitution of India: Directive principles of State Policy Art. 47- State shall prohibit consumption of intoxicating drinks and drugs, while increasing standard of living, health-nutritional level.
2. 1940: Drug and Cosmetic Act- puts stringent labeling and distribution rules for sale of narcotic drugs for medical purposes.
3. 60s, 70s and 80s: India signed various UN conventions against Narcotic drugs. And to put those foreign treaties into action, Parliament enacted following law (as per Article 253).
4. 1985: Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. But too many loopholes
   1. Hard to find independence witnesses because everyone has taken drugs at rave parties!
   2. Possession of raw material alone is not an ‘evidence’ that xyz person or company is involved in making synthetic drugs.
   3. State police officers have insufficient funds to buy scientific kits for drug-detection. Most of them are not even trained to use it.
   4. Government doctors are not trained to identify druggies. Often medical tests are conducted too late, hence no conclusive report can be presented in court.
   5. State police doesn’t have enough “secret service fund” to infiltrate and detain organized smuggler rings- like in those Hollywood movies and crime serials.
5. Courts overburdened with other cases, suspects get bail for chargesheets not filed on time and so on.
6. 2002: National AIDS control policy aims to reduce drug-addicts.
7. 2012: Finance ministry drafts the National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. But it too had shortcomings:
   1. Main focus on supply side angles e.g. stopping the raw material used in synthetic narco-drug production.
   2. Using satellite imagery to detect poppy-seed cultivation but lack of coordination between space agency vs field agencies.
8. 2015: Akali Dal launches “Nasha Mukt Bharat” campaign; Congress demands ban on opium cultivation

Opium: Legal cultivation in India

1. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have permitted cultivation of Opium for medicinal purpose.
2. This Opium is used for manufacturing morphine (analgesic for cancer patients and soldiers injured in war), codein (cough-syrup) and thebaine (used in industrial chemicals).
3. But lot of that opium produce is diverted for illegal use.

National Policy for Drug Demand Reduction, 2014

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment designed this policy.

What’re the salient features of this policy?

1.Survey	First, we’ll do a national Survey of drug junkies by 31st March 2015.
2.Demandreduction	for both categories Illegal drugs: heroin, opium; Misused drugs: tranquilizers, painkillers, cough syrups
3.Awareness4.focus	We’ll create awareness about drug-abuse among individuals, families, workplace and society at large. We’ll focus on Street-Children, Beggars, Homeless, sex-workers, truck-drivers, Women with druggie husbands, prisoners already serving terms for narc-offenses and engineering students living in hostels.
5.UniformTreatment	We’ll help druggies get rehabilitation, aftercare, vocational training so they can re-integrate in the society. De-addiction centres will have to get accreditation certificates. This will ensure nation-wide uniform treatment. We’ll order NIC to setup an online portal for monitoring druggies undergoing treatment.
6.Finance7.collaboration	We’ll pour money on Research, training, HRD and other fancy things at AIIMS, NIMHANS, Government hospitals and NGOs. We’ll collaborate with various bodies at national & international level- including NGO, SHG, civil society members, celebrities and social media.
8.Accountability	Union minister for Social justice=>National Committee => State/UT Committees=> Local bodies doing social audit of national policy. we’ll involve civil society, criminal justice, social care, health care, education-employment system.

Mock questions

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Q1. Under Directive principles of state policy, Article 47 requires the state to ____.

1. Raise the level of nutrition
2. Raise standard of living
3. Prohibition on intoxicating drinks

Answer choices

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 2 and 3
3. Only 1 and 3
4. All of them

Q2. Parliament is empowered to legislate laws to implement international conventions and treaties under Article ___.

1. 253
2. 254
3. 255
4. 256

Q3. Which of the following compounds can be synthesized from Opium?

1. Morphine
2. Codeine
3. Thebaine

Answer choices

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 2 and 3
3. Only 1 and 3
4. All of them

Q4. Opium cultivation is permitted in which of the following areas?

1. Saurashtra
2. Rajasthan
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. Madhya Pradesh

Answer choices

1. Only 1, 2 and 4
2. Only 1, 2 and 3
3. Only 2, 3 and 4
4. All of them

Q5. Union government lacks the power to levy taxes on

1. Alcohol meant for human consumption
2. Alcohol meant for Medicinal and toiletry preparations.
3. Opium, Hemp and other narcotic drugs.

Answer choices

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 2 and 3
3. Only 1 and 3
4. Union can’t levy taxes on any of them.

Q6. State government enjoys the power to levy taxes on

1. Alcohol meant for human consumption
2. Alcohol meant for Medicinal and toiletry preparations.
3. Opium, Hemp and other narcotic drugs.

Answer choices

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 2 and 3
3. Only 1 and 3
4. State Government can levy taxes on all of them

Q7. Why did East India company official force Indian farmers to grow opium?

1. To extract morphine out of opium and sell it as medical supply for American Civil war.
2. To finance British import of Silk and Tea from China
3. Both A and B
4. Neither A nor B

Answer: New NCERT Class9 History

Q8. During British-raj, why were Indian farmers reluctant to grow Opium?

1. Because they preferred to grow pulses rather than opium.
2. Because Opium cultivation required too much babysitting, leaving no time to attend to other crops.
3. Company officials offered very poor price on opium procurement

Answer choices

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 2 and 3
3. Only 1 and 3
4. All of them

Answer: New NCERT Class9 History

Q9. During British-raj, Opium was cultivated in ___?

1. Bengal
2. Central India
3. Rajasthan

Answer choices

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 2 and 3
3. Only 1 and 3
4. All of them

Answer: New NCERT Class9 History

Q10. National Policy for Drug Demand Reduction, 2014 was formulated by the ministry of ____.

1. Health and family welfare
2. Finance
3. Commerce and industrial Development
4. Social justice and empowerment

Q11. National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 2012 was formulated by the ministry of ___.

1. Health and family welfare
2. Finance
3. Commerce and industrial Development
4. Social justice and empowerment

Q12. In 2015, “Nasha Mukt Bharat campaign” was launched by

1. BJP
2. Congress
3. Aam Aadmi Party
4. Akali dal

Q13. As per the NACO guidelines, who among the following are considered “Core high risk groups” for HIV/AIDS infection?

1. Gay men
2. Transsexuals
3. Drug junkies
4. Long distance Truck drivers
5. Migrant males

Answer choices

1. Only 1, 3 and 4
2. Only 1, 2, 3 and 4
3. Only 3, 4 and 5
4. Only 4 and 5

Q14. As per the NACO guidelines, who among the following are considered “Bridge Population” for HIV/AIDS infection?

1. Gay men
2. Transsexuals
3. Drug junkies
4. Long distance Truck drivers
5. Migrant males

Answer choices

1. Only 1, 3 and 4
2. Only 1, 2, 3 and 4
3. Only 3, 4 and 5
4. Only 4 and 5

Q15. What’s the utility of an analgesic drug such as Morphine?

1. During Cardiac pain
2. During Terminal cancer
3. During Child birth

Answer choices

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 2 and 3
3. Only 1 and 3
4. All of them

Q16. Find correct statements about Morphine?

1. During mild usage it can produce sleep and relieve pain
2. During excessive usage, it can produce coma and death
3. Both A and B
4. Neither A nor B

Correct Answer: NCERT Class 12 Chemistry Chapter 16

Q17. Which of the following are derived from a Cannabis plant?

1. Hashish
2. Charas
3. Ganja
4. Marijuana
5. Cocaine

Answer choices

1. Only 1, 3 and 4
2. Only 1, 2, 3 and 4
3. Only 2, 3, 4 and 5
4. Only 4 and 5

Correct Answer: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 8
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Mains General Studies paper-2

1. Addiction to drugs not only affects the individual’s health but also disrupts their families and the whole society. Discuss how National Policy for Drug Demand Reduction, 2014 aims to curb this menace.
2. List the factors contributing to drug menace in India. Suggest novel remedies to address this problem.
3. (Interview) Should Government prohibit cultivation of Opium in India? What if we relied on imported Afghani Opium for pharmaceutical purpose?
4. (Interview) Should we legalize Medicinal-Marijuana as some western countries have done?

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Correct Answers to MCQs

1. D. DPSP: all of them
2. A. 253
3. D. all compounds can be synthesized
4. C. only Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh
5. C Refer to Laxmikanth’s Union list.
6. C Refer to Laxmikanth’s State list.
7. B only 2- importing silk and tea.
8. D All reasons made Indian farmers reluctant
9. D all three places, opium was grown
10. D Social justice ministry
11. B Finance ministry
12. Akali Dal
13. all except truckers and migrants
14. only truckers and migrants
15. Morphine used in all 3 cases. (NCERT Class12 Chemistry)
16. Both correct about morphine dosage.
17. all except cocaine.