Nagaland consumes over 20,000 kg of drugs annually, says DGP Rupin Sharma

KOHIMA — Nagaland has nearly 1.2 lakh drug users, most of whom consume heroin and sunflower drugs, resulting in an estimated 20,000 kg of drug consumption annually, assuming an average of half a gram per user daily, informed Nagaland’s Director General of Police (DGP), Rupin Sharma.

Speaking at the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking event held at Japfü Hotel, Kohima, on the theme ‘Breaking the Chain: Prevention, Treatment, Recovery for All’, Sharma said that despite the efforts of police and other agencies, they are not doing enough to tackle drug trafficking in the state.

The programme was jointly organised by the Department of Social Welfare, Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS), and Kripa Foundation Nagaland.

Sharma acknowledged that while both a state-level and district-level anti-narcotics task force exist, the latter ‘has more or less not performed.’

Fresh guidelines have been issued for awareness campaigns and for identifying the number of rehab, addiction, and OST centres, as well as drug users.

Expressing frustration, Sharma said that he was saddened and angered by the lack of effort from local police officers, particularly OCs and SDPOs, in following leads. “Unless we connect the dots, we won’t see the bigger picture,” he said.

He urged Naga society to make a difficult choice: either allow law enforcement more room to act, potentially at the cost of certain liberties, or risk losing loved ones to drug addiction.

He highlighted that even rehab centres and NGOs often refrain from sharing key information such as sources of supply, citing individual privacy, which ultimately makes it difficult to dismantle the supply chain. “If we do not cut off the supply, the person will relapse after rehab,” he cautioned.

No arrests for reformed informants

Sharma gave his assurance that individuals genuinely seeking to reform and confess drug involvement will not be arrested if they cooperate and refrain from using drugs again. He called on churches, NGOs, and rehab centres to trust the police and share information to aid investigations.

He frowned upon informal systems such as student unions, village or ward councils, which sometimes take money from traffickers or are themselves complicit.

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“Informal systems do not solve the problem—they contribute to it,” he warned.

Sharma also encouraged the public to report traffickers without fear, promising police protection. He maintained that recovering drug users must be willing to help dismantle the networks supplying them.

Community role critical in the fight

Mohammed Ali Shihab, Commissioner & Secretary of Social Welfare, said that acknowledging the drug issue is the first step. While drug trafficking is a global issue, India’s large youth population makes it especially vulnerable, he noted, calling for positive role models and moral mentoring.

Villo Naleo, Secretary of Social Concerns, NBCC, said that drug abuse produces heavy repercussions for society and governance. In many villages, he recalled, drug users were punished harshly, including being excommunicated.

Despite efforts at deterrence, the drug trade continues due to the massive profits involved. “Even if the government is trying, people are still dying of drug abuse. Sometimes, even the law enforcers are involved,” he lamented.

Naleo warned that Nagaland is seeing an increase in drug use among teenagers and students.

“The community must step in to help law enforcement. Drug abuse leads to poverty, crime, accidents, and social decay,” he said, adding that while churches have a role to play, many are unprepared.

“Many clergies are uninformed or untrained,” he said, though he acknowledged that some churches and pastors are genuinely trying.

Call to implement Nagaland Substance Abuse Policy

Abou Mere, Director of Kripa Foundation, said that substance use disorder is not merely an individual problem but also a socio-political and human rights issue affecting the state’s social fabric.

He called for a comprehensive strategy through the immediate implementation of the Nagaland Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Policy.

Mere stressed that without synchronised supply control and demand reduction, little progress will be made.

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He noted that drug use is rising among women and teenagers, with consequences including HIV and Hepatitis due to shared injecting paraphernalia.

Law enforcement, he said, must plug all inlets and outlets of drug trafficking.

Mere stressed the need for coordinated action by the state government, civil society, faith-based groups, and NGOs using a rights-based and scientific approach.

“The state must take legislative, administrative, judicial, and budgetary measures to realise the right to health,” he asserted.