25Cr Indians Use Drugs, Only 10Cr on Record: GMCH Dean

Time of India

3 days ago

Nagpur: The actual number of drug users in India could be as high as 25 crore, far exceeding the 10 crore reflected in official records, said Dr Raj Gajbhiye, dean of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
He was speaking at a national conference organised under the Nagpur police's 'Operation Thunder' anti-drug initiative, and described drug addiction as a growing public health concern that needs wider recognition and urgent attention.
Calling it a 'public health emergency', Dr Gajbhiye noted that over 4 crore individuals are completely dependent on drugs for survival, with nearly 2 crore resorting to injectable drugs.
"This issue is not just about addiction — it's about public health, mental health, and crime prevention." He also stressed on the need for more trained personnel in de-addiction centres and increased outreach at the rural and slum levels.
Adding perspective, Sanjay Kumar Singh, retired deputy director general of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), described drug addiction as a 'mother crime' that fuels a host of other illegal activities.
"Heroin, for instance, sells for Rs500 per packet. Addicts often commit theft, assault, or other crimes to afford their next fix," he said.
Singh, who served in both CBI and NCB, and also led the SIT in the Aryan Khan case, traced the growing footprint of synthetic drugs across India. "Back in 2008, when I was SP in Odisha, ganja was the only commonly known drug. By 2018, in Bhubaneswar, we were seeing everything from heroin to cocaine.
Synthetic substances are now common," he added.
He also warned about the aggressive strategies used by peddlers, who often offer free drugs as bait. "Addiction starts with curiosity but is quickly sustained by manipulation. Peddlers know exactly how to trap their clients," he said. Drawing from his own family's experience, Singh pointed out how early exposure — sometimes as young as age 13 — leads to quick dependency.
B Venugopal Reddy, additional chief secretary of the state higher and technical education department, emphasised the importance of a multi-pronged strategy involving education, community outreach, and ethics-based prevention. "No single player can solve this problem. We need to tackle demand because if there is no demand, supply will collapse. Schools must integrate drug awareness modules, and children must be taught ethical values from a young age," he said.
Reddy also expressed concern over the lack of long-term behavioural change, noting that most interventions focus on raids and enforcement but miss the preventive angle. "We need to create a culture where saying no to drugs is seen as strength, not weakness," he said, stressing the need to reshape attitudes at the school level through continuous engagement rather than one-off awareness sessions. "If we equip the next generation with moral clarity and emotional intelligence early on, we reduce their vulnerability later.
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Principal secretary of food & civil supplies Vinita Singhal outlined three crucial fronts in the war against drugs: prevention of availability, tackling the middlemen who lure youth, and rehabilitating the end-users who suffer the most. She cited reasons such as peer pressure, stress, and coercion for rising consumption among students. "It's a myth that trying a drug once doesn't matter. Even a single exposure can set off addiction.
Schools offer a monitored environment, but colleges are tougher. That's why awareness groups and campaigns are needed," she said.
Commissioner of police Ravinder Singal, additional commissioners Shivaji Rathod, Rajesh Dabhade and Vasant Pardesi, along with DCP Niketan Kadam, were also present on the dais.
(Inputs by Eklavya Singh and Simran Shrivastava )