SRINAGAR: More than 5.4 crore Indians, including around 60 lakh children and adolescents, are estimated to be using cannabis or opioids, according to government data presented in the Lok Sabha, placing substance abuse firmly among India’s major public health and social challenges.
The figures, sourced from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and tabled in response to an unstarred question, show that cannabis and opioids remain the most widely used psychoactive substances in the country across age groups. Among adults aged 18 to 75 years, cannabis use has a prevalence of 3.30 percent, translating into an estimated 2.9 crore users. Opioid use among adults stands at 2.10 percent, affecting around 1.9 crore individuals. Taken together, cannabis and opioid use among adults accounts for about 4.8 crore people.
Equally concerning is the extent of use among minors. Government estimates indicate that about 20 lakh children and adolescents aged 10 to 17 years use cannabis, while opioid use in the same age group is significantly higher at around 40 lakh. Combined, cannabis and opioid consumption among minors affects nearly 60 lakh individuals, pointing to early exposure to substances associated with high risks of dependency, health complications and social harm.
Beyond cannabis and opioids, the data also reflects substantial use of other psychoactive substances. Sedatives are used by an estimated 1.1 crore adults and about 20 lakh children and adolescents. Smaller but notable numbers are reported for cocaine, amphetamine type stimulants and hallucinogens, each affecting several lakh users across age groups. However, the government data does not clarify overlap between substances, suggesting that the actual number of unique users may be lower than the sum of individual categories due to polysubstance use.
The scale of consumption is mirrored by enforcement data from the National Crime Records Bureau. Between 2019 and 2023, law enforcement agencies seized massive quantities of narcotic substances each year. In 2022 alone, over 20.8 lakh kilograms of drugs were seized, the highest during the five year period. In 2023, seizures stood at more than 10.35 lakh kilograms, along with over two crore units and nearly 19.7 lakh litres of drugs, indicating sustained trafficking networks despite ongoing enforcement efforts.
While high seizure figures are often cited as evidence of intensified policing, experts caution that they also reflect persistent supply and steady demand. The continued availability of drugs, coupled with widespread use across age groups, raises questions about the effectiveness of existing prevention and rehabilitation mechanisms.
In response, the government has outlined a range of measures to address substance abuse. These include the 24 by 7 National Narcotics Helpline MANAS, which provides a platform for citizens to report drug related issues, and a separate toll free de addiction helpline that has received over 4.30 lakh calls to date. Financial assistance is being provided to hundreds of rehabilitation and treatment facilities across the country, including integrated rehabilitation centres, community based intervention centres and district de addiction centres.
At the preventive level, the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has been implemented across all districts, with the government claiming outreach to more than 24.9 crore people, including 8.7 crore youth and 6 crore women. Awareness and sensitisation programmes have also been expanded through schools, with training modules developed for students, teachers and parents to address drug dependence, coping strategies and life skills.
Despite these interventions, the figures disclosed in Parliament suggest that substance abuse in India is neither marginal nor confined to adults.
