Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 26
The drug user community of the state today urged the state government for budgetary allocation to implement Nagaland State Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Policy 2016.
This appealed was made to the state government during the observance of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking here at Capital Convention Centre, organized by Kripa Foundation, Nagaland.
The drug users community brought notice to the gathering that the Nagaland State ‘Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Policy’ received cabinet approval on June 26, 2016.
“However till date no budgetary allocation was provided to implement the said policy, and therefore none of the strategies and objectives indicated in the policy were materialized,” it stated.
The NGOs working in the field of drug addiction and alcoholism, expressed deep concern at the rampant increase in substance use and abuse in the state with the problem further compounded by the high prevalence rate of HIV and Viral Hepatitis among the injecting drug users’ in the state.
The abject neglect by the state government to implement the drug policy, with lack of accountability, reflects the state’s failure to respond to its obligations to the article 21 ‘Right to life and liberty’ as enshrined in the constitution of India, it stated.
It sought the intervention of the state government towards initiating necessary action with the appropriate authorities and departments for budgetary allocations to address substance prevention and treatment with holistic approach, and social re-integration with a robust system to coordinate for collective effort of both government and civil societies, and ensure the policy objectives are fulfilled.
These will in turn prevent substance use, provide scientific evidence treatment for those who require treatment and social re-integration, enabling them to lead a sober life and prevent unnecessary loss of human life from effects of drugs and alcohol, it stated.
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