Present Scenario

The first National Survey on the extent, pattern and trend of drug abuse was sponsored by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and conducted by various agencies in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Regional Office for South Asia in the year 2000-2001. The report was published in 2004. Only males within the age group of 12-60 years were part of the Survey. The Survey did not provide state level data.

The next (and the most recent) national survey was commissioned by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2017 which was conducted by National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi in collaboration with 10 other medical institutions and 15 NGOs. The details of the survey can be found at NDUS 2019. Report of this survey was released in 2019 which showed:

• A significant increase in substance use in the country.
• Marked variation in prevalence of substance use across various states and UTs.
• A large gap in the availability of demand reduction (prevention and treatment of substance use) measures in the country.

Subsequently, the MoSJE launched the 'National Action Plan on Drug Demand Reduction', under which a number of initiatives aimed at prevention and treatment have been undertaken. The flagship campaign of the MoSJE, Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has been operational since 2020. The program was initially launched in 272 identified districts, which has now been expanded in its scope to include all the districts of the country. It is important to identify districts that should be prioritised for programme delivery.

Drug use is a dynamic phenomenon. The pattern of drug use may change rapidly. This is especially true after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, India is expected to report to the international agencies (like United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and World Health Organization) on questions related to data on extent of substance use in India.

As per the National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 2012 of the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is required to conduct survey every five years to study the change and pattern of drug abuse and assess the impact of various measures taken for reduction in drug supply and demand.

This (2025) survey will:

1. Build upon the experiences of the earlier (2019) survey.
2. Enhance our insights about the drug use epidemic in India in an incremental manner
3. Provide an opportunity to assess the impact of the ongoing initiatives like the NMBA