Other than the coronavirus pandemic, there is one thing that has attracted the attention of the general public. If you haven’t already guessed it, it is the rise of drug abuse in Delhi. The issue of drug abuse in Delhi has prevailed in the country and beyond, for ages. And even though numerous initiatives have been taken by the government and its people to bring an end to the illegal usage of drugs, it somehow still exists in the country.

Over the past three years, police sources say, the demand for drugs, especially cocaine and heroin, has been increasing in the city. While the former is out of reach for many due to its high cost, heroin — especially its adulterated version known as smack — is much more accessible.

A Transit Point

Over the years, owing to accessibility and relative anonymity, Delhi has become a transit point for international drug peddlers. Police sources say that presently there are three big hubs of heroin — southwest Asia, southeast Asia and India.

Heroin is an opioid – a drug derived from opium. Cultivation of poppy for opium is allowed in some parts of India, Turkey and Australia. While countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan have banned the cultivation, the plant is still grown extensively in some areas, police say. Opium is used to make morphine - a purified form of which is used to make a strong painkiller. Morphine is also used to make heroin.

In India, police say, heroin comes from Rajasthan’s Kota, Jhalawar, Bara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh and Udaipur, Madhya Pradesh’s Bhawani, Mandi, Mandsaur, Indore and Neemuch and Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, Barabanki and Badaun and some parts of Jharkhand. Police sources say heroin is also smuggled in from Afghanistan and Pakistan via Amritsar. Cocaine — extracted from the leaves of Coca plants — comes to Delhi from west African countries via Mumbai and Goa, police say. Police have also noticed the increasing trend of involvement of foreign nationals and women in the drug trade. According to officials at the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), women belonging to middle class families take to trafficking as their relatives are involved in the trade.

The Concerns at Hand

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment conducted a survey which discloses that India is home to about 5 million drug addicts. Here are a few points that speak of the issues at hand:

  • In 2019, a study was conducted by AIIMS, Delhi in association with 15 NGOs and 10 medical institutes on the prevalence of drug abuse in Delhi. This study establishes the fact that a substantial percentage of the Delhi’s population uses psychoactive substances which include cannabis, alcohol and ophoids. In addition, the study states that adult men top the list of users and amidst all psychoactive substances, alcohol is most commonly used, followed by cannabis, ophoids (opium, heroin) and inhalers.
  • Another survey conducted by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) revealed alarming stats that said one out of every six children in the capital of the country abuses drugs in one of the many forms. 
  • The report confirmed an earlier survey conducted by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights which declared that 100 per cent of children who indulge in crimes, abuse substances, contraband or alcohol. 
  • Following the inception of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS), the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has conducted two major nation-wide surveys in the last three decades. Conducted in 2004 and 2019 respectively, the surveys suggest that the use of drugs in Delhi is on an unabated rise. 
  • What’s even more disturbing is the fact that heroin has replaced the use of natural opioids (poppy husk and opium), taking the place of the most commonly used opioids. Also, there has been a significant increase in the use of other synthetic drugs.
  • Moreover, a survey by National Mental Health, conducted in 2015-2016, stated that a treatment gap of more than 70 per cent prevailed for drug use disorders. 
  • Also, only 5 percent of people diagnosed with illicit drug use disorder receive inpatient care. This is a major cause of concern as it clearly indicates a treatment gap which is a result of poor utilization, accessibility and quality of health care. 

How to Fight Against Drug Addiction in Delhi


The Delhi government has launched a campaign against drug and substance abuse in the national capital to ensure sustained and focused effort to combat the menace.

Services for de-addiction and counselling will be provided to the affected people at their place of stay under the campaign.

If someone is fed up with drug addiction and looking for a rehabilitation centre in delhi then there are many rehab centres in delhi that will help you to fight against drug addiction.

Top De Addiction Centers in Delhi 2021

Delhi has some of the best rehab centre in delhi and NGO’s in the country like - Anatta, Anatta Recovery, Safe House Wellness Retreat, Varun Wellness, Human Wellness and so on. They all help addicted people to  fight against drug addiction and providing the best rehabilitation services in Delhi. An individual seeking treatment in Delhi will find many treatment options as well as services such as family counseling, yoga therapy and special women de-addiction programs.

Concluding Remarks

Delhi has taken certain early measures and decisive steps in order to address and tackle the drug problem at hand. But even though the government has a committed workforce at its disposal in addition to numerous programmes and policies, there is a need to evaluate and improve the current programmes such that they can have a lasting effect on the population of the country. To make that happen, a coordinated effort between Ministries along with uniform policies and scientifically informed choices will have to be put in place to reduce the supply chains of illegal drugs.