SHILLONG, JUNE 26: Even as the Regional Resource Training Centre, of Nagaland director Dr P Ngully said Meghalaya including the north eastern region has the highest prevalence of addiction related problems, Meghalaya social welfare department Deoborah Marak informed that the state will soon have a “Drug Policy” soon.
Ngully said alcohol users are the largest group seeking for medical treatment in the north eastern region after cannabis and heroin users during the Consultation Meet to observe the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking held in Shillong on Wednesday.
The meet was organized by Meghalaya Social Welfare department in collaboration with the Regional Resource Training Centre, Kohima, Nagaland.
Ngully, however, revealed that heroin is making its way into Meghalaya and neighbouring states like Assam. Apart from alcohol, drug abuse is also prevalent among women and children, he said.
Ngully said Meghalaya as over 17, 833 drugs users as per the report on the “Magnitude of the problems of drug abuse in Meghalaya” conducted by the North East India Drugs & Aids Care (NEIDAC).
Of the 17, 833, Jaintia hills district has the highest concentration of drug users with a number of 5398 followed by East Khasi hills district with 5113. Ri Bhoi district has 2397 and West Khasi hills district with 1525 drug users. Meanwhile, East Garo hills district has a number of 1500, West Garo hills district with 1100 and South Garo hills with 800 drug users.
Ngully said narcotic substance is being supplied to the north eastern region from Myanmar through bordering states like Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.
Another concern is injecting drugs users, Ngully said adding that this group is quite vulnerable to HIV/AIDS due to sharing of syringes. He informed NACO has come up with a targeted intervention programme for drug users to educate them on the ill effects of sharing syringes while informing that the programme has been effective in Nagaland where HIV/AIDS problems has been reduced to 2 per cent in 2008 from the 30 per cent registered in 1994.
Ngully appealed for redefining the attitude of physicians towards treating such patients having addiction problem besides the role of parents in helping combating the problems.
While inaugurating the meet, Deborah Marak said the issue of drug abuse is of global concern and does not confined only to the state and North East region.
Saying that there is no statistic on the women and children using drugs, she said that women with addiction problem are still on the hidden population due to fear of stigma and discrimination adding the need to look into the street children as vulnerable to drugs problem.
Marak informed that Meghalaya will soon have its “Drug Policy” and said the government is still working on the draft drugs policy and waiting for views and suggestions from the stakeholders.
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