Meghalaya Govt seeks effective implementation of drug policy

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 7, 2020

Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla on Tuesday has sought the support and cooperation of all stakeholders for the effective implementation of the Meghalaya Drug Abuse Prevention Policy, 2020 to eradicate the problem of drug menace in the state.

Shylla told reporters that the policy was approved by the state cabinet on March 12 and was published in the gazette of Meghalaya on June 25.

“Meghalaya is the second state in the North-east region to have a drug policy in place,” he said while urging all the stakeholders including religious institutions to help the government in effective implementation of the policy to combat against drug menace in the state.

The minister said the main objective of the policy is to strengthen drug supply reduction strategy, set up de-addiction centres in all vulnerable districts and rehabilitation of addicts.

It also seeks to motivate and encourage stakeholders including community, parents, teachers, and government departments, NGOs etc, in the challenges to fight against drug abuse.

He said the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had conducted a national survey on extent and pattern of substance use in India through the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) AIIMS, New Delhi during 2018.

The National Institute of Social Defense (NISD) in collaboration with the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Imphal, Regional Resource Training Centre Kohima, (RRTC) Nagaland and Research staff of Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh had collected data for the north eastern region.

He said in Meghalaya, the sample survey was collected from the three districts viz East Khasi Hills District, Jaintia Hills District and West Garo Hills District.

The report on the Magnitude of Substance Abuse in India 2019 was released in New Delhi on May 14, last year.

As per the findings of the report, Meghalaya’s current use of alcohol is 3.4% and dependence of alcohol is 0.9%.

The state is also ranked at 12^th position amongst states with 1.68% of current users of cannabis and 0.15 % dependence, while the percentage of use of opioid (heroin) is at 6.34%.

The state also has 0.95% current users of sedatives, 0.05% users of cocaine and 0.8% users of inhalants.

 The state’s drug policy further stated that illicit drug use is increasing in Meghalaya adding that the problem is intensified with drug use being linked to sex work and high risk activities such as injecting drug use and the sharing of such equipments that can result in public health epidemics such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C, sexually transmitted diseases and other blood borne viruses.

“Women and children are no exception on the use of illicit drugs, they seem to be the worst affected with no specific treatment facility available in the state for them. According to the study, drugs mostly abused by children are inhalants,” it said.

When asked, the minister informed that that the government is in the process of coming up with a de-addiction centre on PPP mode with the Kripa Foundation at Mawdiangdiang to rehabilitate adolescents with addiction problems.

“We are working on coming up with a rehabilitation centre run by the government,” he said.

To another query, Shylla said his department would examine the possibility of providing treatment for drug addiction under the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS).