This is the 4th year that Cuttack Police have been jointly observing the International Day against Drug abuse and Illicit trafficking on 26th of June with Project Swarajya, a leading NGO of the State active in the field of drug abuse prevention. The place where we are holding the Seminar now is a Drug De-addiction-cum-Rehabilitation Centre run by Project Swarajya, where the facilities for treatment and counseling in an indoor set-up are available for drug addicts and alcoholics, who want to de-addict themselves.
Today's Seminar is to be addressed by eminent persons from different walks of life. The Chief Guest Dr. B.B Panda, ex-D.G, Orissa Police is well known among the police circles for his deep interest and studies on drug related subjects. The Guest of Honour in today's Seminar is Dr. R.P. Sharma, DIG Orissa Police (Central Range), who is an authority on the subject on drugs. Besides being a doctor himself, Dr.Sharma had earlier worked for a year under the Narcotic Control Bureau of Government of India and gathered a close knowledge on the drug related crimes. The other guests of today's Seminar include Dr. Niranjan Tripathy and Dr.R.N.Mishra, eminent physicians involved in various philanthropic activities, and Mr.Abhaya Kumar Padhi, Station Director, All India Radio, Cuttack, who is enthusiastic to carry the anti-drug message in the electronic media, of which he is a part.
Let me inform you about trend of drug abuse in Cuttack District where I happen to be the SP. In the year 1999, there were 12 cases and 14 arrests made under NDPS Act. In the year 2000, 19 cases and 23 arrests, followed by 43 cases and 78 arrests in the next year ( 2001) were made. In the current year (2002), 10 cases have already been lodged and 16 arrests made.
From the crime statistics available, it is now evident that the problem of drug abuse is on the increase in both urban and rural areas of Cuttack district. There is no point in denying the truth of growing trend of drug-related crimes. All sections of people, richer or poor fall pray to the drug abuse.
But the fact remains that, of all the cases registered under NDPS Act in Cuttack district, only 12 persons have been convicted by the Court. It is our observation that, of all the cases we register under NDPS ACT and bring them to the notice of the court, only less than 10% get convicted.
As you know, there are two aspects of the drug problem, demand and supply. Until very recently, all our efforts to contain the drug menace from national level downwards were concentrated on how to check the supply i.e. availability and trafficking of drugs. But of late, it was realized that such lop-sided emphasis on supply side only was a failure. Further it has been realized that, if there be a demand for a particular thing among a section of people, that thing shall somehow or the other reach them irrespective of legal or illegal means. No enforcement agency can check the trafficking of the drug, if the latter itself is demanded by the public. So the time has come to think out the ways and means of reducing the demand for drugs. That is why, we being the police do seek collaboration of NGOs and community leaders in the matter of drug demand reduction among the people. It is the conscious members of civil society, who should see to it that the drug addicts are de-addicted and rehabilitated or some other alternative means are adopted to the restrain them from drug-taking behaviour.
The drug problem as you might know, is a complicated problem too. Violence is inherent in the drug. There is high money involved the drug transaction too. More the drug abuse spreads, more and more the society draws to a state of chaos and insanity. So every one of us should be aware about various aspects of the drug problem and try our level best to check it as far as possible in the respective areas where we live and work, to start with. We should arouse the concern of the people living in our respective villages and Sahis about the drug menace. This is the message of today's occasion.