On Thursday, 23rd July, B.L Verma, Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice and Empowerment, stated that alcohol remains the most widely consumed substance among adults in India. He mentioned that a national survey revealed that about 15.10 crore adults, that is, between 18 and 75 years of age, are consuming alcohol. The minister further spoke about the various mechanisms introduced to curb this.
Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice and Empowerment, B.L Verma, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, stated the other facts as per the survey. This included information such as the fact that alcohol users are followed by 2.90 crore cannabis users, 1.90 crore opioid users, 1.10 crore sedative users, and about 60 lakh inhalant users under this category.
The MoS said, “The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is continuously strengthening the implementation of Centrally-sponsored schemes to ensure timely financial assistance, enhanced transparency and improved delivery of services in the areas of drug demand reduction, rehabilitation and social justice.”
Verma added that “The Ministry has also introduced measures to simplify fund release procedures, expand de-addiction infrastructure and enhance access to rehabilitation services across the country.”
The survey estimates that among children and adolescents (between 10 and 17 years), about 20 lakh are cannabis users, 30 lakh inhalant users, 30 lakh alcohol users and 40 lakh opioid users. This highlights the need for continued efforts in awareness, prevention, and treatment.
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Also Read: Alcohol Consumption Expected To Decline Over The Next Decade
The MoS mentioned that the Department has come up with a stringent monitoring mechanism. This is to ensure timely release of funds and processing of proposals under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
Verma said that “A revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has also been introduced to simplify the release of grants to partner NGOs implementing schemes such as the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) and the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY) by reducing documentation requirements and improving administrative efficiency.”
He further mentioned that the Ministry is implementing an all-inclusive, evidence-based strategy under NAPDDR. The strategy is completely based on the first survey. This survey (National Survey on the Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India) was conducted in New Delhi by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) at AIIMS.
The reply mentioned that Nasha Mukht Bharat Abhiyan has emerged as one of the world’s largest awareness campaigns that was launched against substance abuse. It was launched in 2020 on August 15 and later expanded to all the districts in 2023 in the month of August.
The campaign to date has reached more than 29.68 crore citizens through nationwide awareness activities. This includes over 11.43 crore youth and 8.05 crore women.
Verma mentioned that “During 2024-25, 55 new District De-Addiction Centres (DDACs) were approved in GAP districts, while 21 additional DDACs were established during 2025-26, further expanding the country’s de-addiction infrastructure.”
To strengthen community participation, more than 1.17 lakh Nasha Mukhti Mitras have joined this campaign. Moreover, under this campaign, about 28.29 lakh people have been rehabilitated and treated. Besides this, they have also undertaken outreach activities in about 21.73 lakh educational institutions in India.
The Ministry has launched the NMBA 2.0 Mobile application. This move enabled citizens to locate the nearest de-addiction centre and hence improved accessibility to treatment services for those who wish to change.
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Also Read: Alcohol Consumption In India: A Changing Trend With Regional Variations
As per the National Survey, alcohol is the most used substance in India, with over 15.10 crore adult consumers. It is far ahead of the number of cannabis, opioids, and other drug consumers. To help solve this issue, the government is set to expand its de-addiction centres, run large-scale campaigns like Nasha Mukht Bharat Abhiyan, and simplify NGO funding.
