The INCB 2011 report indicates that 17 out of 40 tons of heroin produced in South Asia are consumed in India.
India is considered as a transit point for international traffickers for smuggling heroin to neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
“India is a huge country and has a huge slum-dwelling and marginalized population. They are at higher risks of vulnerabilities to drug use. And also there are very few data because the only national drug use survey that was done is more than ten years old, ” Christina Albertin, South Asia representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) told Press TV.
The report further adds that the country has some 7500 hectares of opium cultivation and nearly three million opiate users.
The widespread use of Internet pharmacies and selling of drugs without medical prescription has been observed not only in India but also across South Asia.
“India has such a thriving pharmaceutical industry and the amount that is being sold is very big. And now it is also being shown if we look at seizures of prescription drugs through internet pharmacies. India is making the largest numbers of seizures also,” Albertin added.
The report also highlights the harmful consequences of drug use and calls for action at local, national, regional and international levels.
“What is very important is that we have comprehensive prevention campaigns to avoid and to reach out to those who are not yet using drugs. And I think this is a major concern that the reports has also highlighted. And it is not only for India but for the entire world,” Albertin noted.
The International Narcotics Control Board is an independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body charged with implementing the UN’s international drug control treaties.
TNP/JR
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