MAGNITUDE OF SUBSTANCE USE IN INDIA

About: 

• The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment conducted a “National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India” through the NDDTC of AIIMS, New Delhi during 2018 which provides data at the National level as well as at the State level. 
  
  
• Substance categories studied were: Alcohol, Cannabis, Opioids, Cocaine, Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS), Sedatives, Inhalants and Hallucinogens. The key findings are given below. 
  
  

Alcohol: 

• At the national level, about 14.6% of people (among 10-75-year-old) are current users of alcohol, i.e. about 16 Crore people. Prevalence is 17 times higher among men than women. 
  
  
• Country liquor (‘desi’) (about 30%) and spirits (IMFL – Indian Made Foreign Liquor) (about 30%) are the predominantly consumed alcoholic beverages. 
  
  
• About 2% of Indians are affected by harmful or dependent alcohol use. 
  
  
• States with the high prevalence of alcohol use: Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa. 
  
  
• States with high prevalence (more than 10%) of alcohol use disorders: Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, and Arunachal Pradesh. 
  
  

Cannabis (Bhang and Ganja/Charas): 

• About 2.8% of Indians (3.1 Crore individuals) report having used any cannabis product within past 12 months (Bhang – 2% or 2.2 crore people; Ganja/Charas – 1.2% or 1.3 Crore people). 
  
  
• About 0.66% of Indian need help for their cannabis use problems. 
  
  
• States with the higher than national prevalence of cannabis use: Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. 
  
  
• In some states (e.g. Sikkim, Punjab) the prevalence of cannabis use disorders is considerably higher (more than thrice) than the national average. 
  
  

Opioids: 

• At the national level, the most common opioid used is Heroin, (current use 1.14%) followed by Pharmaceutical opioids (current use 0.96%) and then Opium (current use 0.52%). 
  
  
• Prevalence of current use of opioids is 2.06%. 
  
  
• 55% of Indians need help for their opioid use problems (harmful use and dependence). 
  
  
• In terms of percentage of population affected, the top states are in the north east (Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur) along with Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. 
  
  

Sedatives:

• About 1.08% of Indians (approximately 1.18 crore people) are current users of sedatives (non-medical, non-prescription use). 
  
  
• States with the highest prevalence of current Sedative use are Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. However, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat are the top five states which house the largest populations of people using sedatives. 
  
  

Inhalants: 

• Inhalants are the only category of substances for which the prevalence of current use among children and adolescents is higher (1.17%) than adults (0.58%). 
  
  
• At the national level, an estimated 4.6 lakh children and 18 lakh adults need help for their inhalant use (harmful use / dependence). 
  
  
• In terms of absolute numbers, states with high population of children needing help for inhalant use are: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi and Haryana. 
  
  

Others:

• Cocaine (0.10%) Amphetamine Type Stimulants (0.18%) and Hallucinogens (0.12%) are the categories with lowest prevalence of current use in India. 
  
  
• Nationally, it is estimated that there are about 8.5 Lakh People Who Inject Drugs (PWID). High numbers of PWID are estimated in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur and Nagaland. 
  
  
• Opioid group of drugs are predominantly injected by PWID (heroin – 46% and pharmaceutical opioids – 46%). A substantial proportion of PWID report risky injecting practices. 
  
  

Access to treatment Services: 

• Access to treatment services for people affected by substance use disorders is inadequate. 
  
  
• Just about one in 38 people with alcohol dependence report getting any treatment. 
  
  
• Among people suffering from dependence on illicit drugs, one among 20 people has ever received inpatient treatment/ hospitalization for help with drug problems.