Our Reporter
Dimapur, July 19 (EMN): Nagaland has a total of 11 projects being assisted under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) scheme.
This includes seven Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (lRCAs) and one each for Community based peer-led intervention (CPLI), Outreach and Drop in Centres (ODIC), Addiction treatment facilities (ATFs) and State Level Coordinating Agency (SLCA).
Among the northeast states, Manipur has the highest number with 34 projects, followed by Assam with 25, Mizoram 14, Nagaland 11, Meghalaya four and three each in Sikkim and Tripura.
The Ministry under the scheme of NAPDDR has been providing financial assistance to a total of 535 projects all over the country.
This was informed by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, A Narayanaswamy in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
As per the Comprehensive National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India conducted in 2018, alcohol topped the list as prevalence of usage in the country in the age group of 10-75 with 14.6% while around 30, 0000 people consume alcohol in the age group of 10-17 and 15, 01, 16,000 people in the age group of 18-75.
Cannabis usage takes the second spot in the country with 2.83% people consuming it, which is estimated to be 20,00,000 people in the age group of 10-17 years and 2,90,18,000 people in the age group of 18-75, according to the survey conducted in 2018.
Opiates/ Opioids usage stands at 2.1%, which is estimated to be 40,00,000 people in the age group of 10-17 and 1,86,44,000 people in the age group of 18-75.
A total of 1328 people have benefited through the NAPDDR scheme in Nagaland as of 2021-2022.
Assam has the highest number of beneficiaries with 25986, followed by Manipur with 8598, Mizoram 1737, while Nagaland stands at fourth place with 1328 beneficiaries, Tripura 669, Sikkim 163, while Meghalaya has the least number of beneficiaries registered with 81.