GUWAHATI: Alcohol is the most used and cocaine the least used psychoactive substance in Assam, according to a survey conducted by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
The recently published report states that 8.8% of the population, which accounts for 27 lakh people between the ages of 10 and 75 years, consume alcohol. Nationally, about 14.6% people in the same age group, which corresponds to 12 crore people, consume alcohol.
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It has also been noted that 2.8% of Indians aged between 10 to 75 years, 3.1 crore individuals, currently consume cannabis products which include bhang, charas or ganja. In Assam, the consumption of cannabis is at 0.5%. However, the state is among the top 10 in the country to house people, approximately 1.9 lakh, who need help with cannabis-related problems.
In terms of opioid use, which can be taken in three forms, opium, heroin and pharmaceutical opioids, Assam has 2.91% users, which is higher than the national prevalence of 2.06% in the country.
In addition, 0.01% of the population in Assam has been found to be cocaine users.
Further, Assam has 17,466 PWIDs (people who inject drugs) against the national figure of 8,54,296.
(Inputs: Times of India)