Steps on to formulate State Drug Policy

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, May 26 : With the State Government striving to formulate Manipur Drug Policy, with Social Welfare Department taking the central role, various line departments of the State Government and stakeholders have collectively started deliberating and exploring different perspectives of framing the said policy.
As part of the endeavour to prepare Manipur Drug Policy, Department of Social Welfare, Manipur, organized a one day workshop on the formulation of Manipur State Policy at Mini Conference Hall, City Convention, Palace Compound, today.
Speaking on the sideline of the workshop, Social Welfare Director Ng Uttam conveyed that the Department has started consultation with various line departments as well as stake holders for formulation of Manipur Drug Policy.
Further observing that a State specific drug policy is much required to address the ever increasing menace of alcoholism and drug addiction in the State, he said that sections of the society, especially those who are concerned with the menace, have been longing for formulation of Manipur Drug Policy since the past many years.
Now the Social Welfare Department is taking the central responsibility for the task of framing the said drug policy, he added.
Hence, the workshop is being organized to explore the aspects that need to be emphasized in the formulation of the policy, by consulting various experts, line departments and stakeholders, he said.
The Director also said that further workshops will be held and different sections of the society, including students and recovering drug addicts, will be consulted for formulation of the drug policy.
During the technical session, many experts from various fields, including medical professionals and lawyers, gave slide presentations and deliberated on different aspects concerning drug and alcohol.
RIMS Psychiatry Department Head Professor RK Lenin, while giving a slide presentation on the topic “Problem analysis and Response on Drug use in the State of Manipur”, observed that scientific evidence based treatment are needed to be made available for people with substance use disorders.
Further stating that the best prevention strategies are those which are based on scientific evidence and which involve working with families, schools and communities in general, he also noted that effective prevention strategies aim at providing healthy growth into adulthood for children, apart from  protecting them from substance use.
Lenin also highlighted that the report of National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Abuse in India listed Manipur among the top 10 States where prevalence of alcohol dependence, cannabis, opioids, sedatives like Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS), inhalants, People Who Inject Drug (PWID) is high.
The menace of drug abuse in the younger generation has been rising all over the world and India is no exception to this.
It creates negative impact on the academic, social, psychological, economic and physiological development among people using drugs and their families, he added.