KOHIMA — A state-level consultation workshop with stakeholders on opioid substitution therapy (OST) was held at Hotel Japfu in Kohima on Saturday.
The joint director (prevention) of Health department, Dr. Bernice D Thapru, said drug abuse is something that everyone came across and one cannot shy away from the problem anymore.
“Directly funded by the central government, OST is being implemented across Nagaland and many young drug users are into the programme already. The workshop was to see how best similar consultation programmes can be conducted at the district level,” she said noting the importance of having continuous sensitisation and disseminating right information and benefits of OST to the people.
She also cautioned of spreading misinformation about OST services as half baked information often creates worry among parents to send their children for OST services.
Currently, OST service in the state is available only for injecting drug users.
NUN technical advisor, Renbonthung, while dwelling on the drug scenario in Nagaland, said drug use has become a big issue among young people in the state. One of the main reasons, according to him, was due to the drug inflow happening on the border along Myanmar.
With the trend of drug users in Nagaland, he expressed concern particularly among students who recently started drug use but are not a part of any OST programme.
Renbonthung said he was a victim of the first phase of drug use in the history of Nagaland. He observed the recent trend as the second phase of drug use in Nagaland with Shanflower/ sunflower causing a major problem.
He informed that there are a total of 9499 persons, who are active on OST in the state. From the total individual, he stated that 1322 are under NGO and 8177 are under government programme.
Giving background on OST services in the state, Ketholelie Angami, secretary of NNgagaDao, said the programme started in 2006 to check the prevailing issue of HIV among injecting drug users. It initially started in the NGO set up and increase target due its high demand.
“The OST remained to be a pragmatic harm reduction service package till today. There is a change in drug scenario with less injecting episode and less opioid overdose case,” he said.
As of August 2024, there are five OST centres in NGO set up and 27 centres in government set up.
Dr. Sungtimen Jamir, MO of OST Centre at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima, informed that in addition to the 32 OST centres, there are 32 supply centres making it to a total of 64 centres in the state.
Debunking some of the common myths of OST services in the state, he said that OST is not just about prescribing medicine but it is about helping the users rehabilitate and help users regain their life.
He informed that patients on OST often stop or significantly reduce illicit drug use and it helps them to regain control of their lives by reducing cravings and withdrawals. He clarified that OST is not only for people with severe addiction but also for the benefit of various individuals with opioid dependency.
Jamir went on to add that OST can be a long-term or short-term treatment based on the individual’s recovery goals.
Kezhosano Kikhi, deputy legal aid defense counsel of Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA), spoke on substance abuse and the legal aspects.
According to her, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, Section 27 deals with punishment for consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance. It states that whoever consumes any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance would be punishable including rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to twenty thousand rupees or with both.
She further stated that substance abuse could lead to social, physical, mental, emotional and job-related problems.