Suicides due to drug and alcohol addiction in India tripled since 2011

Cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act), have gone up almost 204 percent since 2011

As the world is observing International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, an analysis of data shows that the number of suicides attributed to drug and alcohol addiction has almost tripled in a decade’s time.

According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India recorded as many as 10,560 suicides from drug and alcohol addiction in 2021, an increase of nearly 189 percent from the 3,658 such cases reported in 2011.

The theme for this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is "People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention."

Drug Abuse And Mental Illnesses

According to experts, there is a high chance that individuals that engage in substance abuse might have other psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, as well. “Studies from both India and abroad shows that the co-morbidity between substance use and psychiatric disorders are quite high, ranging from 40-50 percent” said Shalini Singh, Assistant Professor, National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre & Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS Delhi (NDDTC).

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“We always check for history of mental illnesses and suicide attempts while diagnosing substance abuse victims,” she added.

Data shows that the rise in suicides from drug addiction have gone up along with the overall rise in the number of cases registered against possession of drugs for personal consumption and trafficking.

Cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act), have gone up almost 204 percent from 25,785 in 2011 to 78,331 in 2021.

As many as 59 percent of the cases registered under the NDPS Act in 2021 were for possession of drugs for personal consumption. In fact, the number of such cases have worryingly gone up from 33,246 in 2020 to 46,029 in 2021.

Demographic Variations

Among different age-groups, the incidence of suicides from drug abuse and alcohol are highest in the age group between 30 and 45, followed by 18–30 years.

“People start using drugs in their teens, and by the time they reach mid 20s or early 30s, they get addicted. In case of alcohol, the victims are usually middle-aged. Whereas in case of other drugs, the victims could be younger as well,” said Ravindra Rao, Professor, NDDTC.

“The rate of female drug users is definitely lower than males. However, their problems remain the same. Substance abuse among females is a hidden issue as the treatment seeking behaviour can be comparatively lesser. It is probably underreported,” said Piyali Mandal, Additional Professor, NDDTC.

Drug Overdosing

Overdosing on drugs also remain an issue in the country. From 2014 onwards, more than 700 people have died per year in the country due to drug overdose. The country saw as much as 737 such deaths in 2021, up from the 514 fatalities recorded in 2020.

However, according to experts, the actual number of overdoses could be much higher as the cases of non-fatal overdoses are underreported.

The NMBA Programme

The central government, on its part, has launched the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) targeting 272 Districts across 32 State/Union Territories identified as most vulnerable in terms of drug usage in the country.

The three-pronged programme, which is run by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment with help from the Narcotics control bureau, and the health ministry, seeks to curb supply of drugs, raise awareness, and provide effective treatment. According to the scheme’s website, its activities have reached 9.85 crore people across nearly 2.79 lakh villages in the country.