By

Dr. G. Shreekumar Menon

A heart-breaking incident has emerged from Punjab, where a mother lost all five of her sons, due to drug addiction, commonly known as “chitta.” Her youngest son, who was critically ill, passed away at a hospital in Amritsar shortly after being admitted in April 2026. The grieving mother broke down, expressing unbearable despair and saying no one understands a mother’s suffering.

This tragic case has once again highlighted the severe drug crisis in Punjab, raising serious concerns about the availability of drugs and the urgent need for stronger action, rehabilitation, and support systems for affected families.

The Supreme Court expressed concern over the rising drug menace situation in Punjab. The Apex court called for a fundamental shift in how the State tackles narcotics, saying that human toll is alarming. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi referred to the above recent incident involving a mother who lost all her five sons to drug addiction.

The CJI asked both state and central agencies to work toward the singular goal of eradicating the drug menace. The bench also pulled up state police for focusing on low-level offenders for publicity while allowing major traffickers to remain at large. The apex court also highlighted the huge pendency of cases lodged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. To address this, the bench pledged to facilitate the creation of specialized NDPS courts across all states to expedite trials.

Punjab continues to battle a severe drug crisis driven by a combination of traditional and synthetic opioids. While the state has scaled up rehabilitation and de-addiction efforts, the Supreme Court has expressed deep concern over the escalating human toll and the challenges in dismantling major drug syndicates.

The “Second Wave” of Synthetics such as codeine-based cough syrups, Tramadol, and Buprenorphine have emerged as highly dangerous and cheap substitutes, heavily contributing to the ongoing crisis. 8,95,508 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup were seized in 2025, the highest across the country, according to the latest Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) report. Not only Punjab, entire India is facing mounting pressure from the changing global narcotics landscape, marked by the rise of ultra-potent synthetic opioids and record cocaine output. Drug law enforcement agencies across the country registered an all-time high of over 1.48 lakh cases and effected seizures of more than 1,200 tonnes of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Punjab accounted for 2,086 kg of heroin seizures in 2025, which was 58 per cent of the national seizure of 3,269 kg. There were 305 drone-related cases detected in 2025 and 468 kg of drugs seized, a 98 per cent rise over 2024, the state accounted for 298 cases (97.7 per cent) and 461 kg of seizures, including 449.7 kg of heroin and 9 kg of methamphetamine. The India-Pakistan border, especially through Punjab, has witnessed a marked shift towards drone-based smuggling as a countermeasure against ground-level checks. The scale and diversity of seizures, ranging from plant-based drugs to synthetic substances, pharmaceutical diversions and precursor chemicals, use of drones and encrypted messaging platforms, underscore the evolving and complex nature of the threat.

The Punjab government granted over 10,600 drug users immunity from prosecution under Section 64A of the NDPS Act, directing them into government-run rehabilitation and de-addiction centers. Between March 2025 and mid-2026, over 90,000 drug victims were treated across the state’s de-addiction and Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centers. The state also introduced Methadone Maintenance Therapy to treat severe opioid dependence, operating dedicated clinics in medical colleges and district hospitals.

To better understand the scale of the epidemic, the government deployed nearly 28,000 employees to conduct Punjab’s first-ever door-to-door Drug and Socio-Economic Survey. The initiative aims to map both the drug-dependent population and the economic backgrounds of affected families to drive more targeted, grassroots policy responses.

Alcohol addiction also remains a critical public health crisis in Punjab, with heavy societal and medical burdens. Despite high prevalence rates and increasing hospitalizations for alcohol-induced liver diseases, the state’s first socio-economic drug census sparked controversy by excluding alcohol from official addiction tracking!

AIIMS and National Mental Health Surveys consistently place Punjab among the top states for substance abuse, with alcohol being the most consumed psychoactive substance. Medical research indicates up to 7.9% of the surveyed population struggles with alcohol-related disorders. The problem has seeped deep into the younger demographics. Studies point to a concerning rate of alcohol use among minors and adolescents in the state. Gastroenterologists in Punjab are seeing an influx of young patients suffering from severe conditions such as liver cirrhosis, fatty liver, and alcohol-induced pancreatitis.

Punjab as also India can learn a lot from Portugal’s policies. Portugal has the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world and the highest rates of alcohol-related problems. The Portuguese government’s National Plan to Reduce Alcohol Related Problems includes the development of projects that provide training to health professionals in screening and intervention for alcohol use disorders, particularly for professionals who work in primary care. High consumption of alcohol is responsible for a number of physical, psychological, and social problems. Portugal’s approach to addiction treatment has been hailed as a ground-breaking model for other countries to follow.

Since 2001, the Portuguese government has taken a unique approach to drug use, treating addiction as a public health issue rather than a criminal one. The country decriminalized the use and possession of all drugs, redirecting resources towards prevention, harm reduction, and treatment. This was a significant shift in approach, treating drug addiction as a public health issue rather than a criminal one. Portugal’s approach to addiction is designed to be accessible to all individuals who need it. Anyone seeking help for their drug use can access free and confidential treatment and support services through the country’s national health system. Portugal’s approach has been widely recognized as a model for other countries to follow. The World Health Organization cited Portugal’s approach as an example of effective drug policy, and other countries, including Canada and Germany, have since implemented similar policies. The success of Portugal’s approach to addiction treatment is a testament to the power of treating addiction as a public health issue rather than a criminal one. By providing individuals with the support they need to recover and reducing the stigma surrounding addiction and drug use, Portugal has shown that it is possible to make real progress in addressing this complex issue. Implemented in 2001, personal possession and use of all illicit drugs were shifted from criminal courts to administrative Commissions for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction under the Ministry of Health. Law enforcement prioritizes tracking large-scale traffickers while users are routed toward medical treatment, counselling, and social re-integration. Success of Portugal’s strategy is evident in the statistics. Drug-related deaths have remained below the EU average since 2001. The proportion of prisoners sentenced for drugs has fallen from 40% to 15%

Rates of drug use have remained consistently below the EU average. By accepting the reality of drug use rather than eternally hoping that it will disappear as a result of repressive legislation, Portuguese reform allows drugs to be treated as a health, rather than criminal justice, issue. The benefits of these reforms, therefore, arise from both decriminalization itself and the establishment of a wider health-based response to drug problems.

The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the rising drug menace situation in Punjab. The Apex court has called for a fundamental shift in how the state tackles narcotics, saying that human toll is alarming. The Bench said the drug menace has reached a point where central government intervention may be necessary. The CJI asked both state and central agencies to work toward the singular goal of eradicating the drug menace. The Bench also pulled up state police for focusing on low-level offenders for publicity while allowing major traffickers to remain at large.

Dr João Goulão is credited as being the architect of Portugal‘s innovative drug policy. He says “In 2001, we have the complete set of strategies put together. We have had an evolution in our data that is really impressive. Nowadays we have the lowest rates of overdose deaths in Europe. We had 38 deaths in 2017, a country of 10 million inhabitants. ……This is the key and this is easy. This is easy to do. In the beginning we had some resistance from law enforcement partners [saying], ‘We are going to lose efficiency in dealing with drugs.’ 20 years later, they are the happiest guys in the world. Why? Because they are free of all the tasks that seemed to be not useful in dealing with the drug users on the street, arresting them and introducing difficulties in their lives. In terms of effectively combating trafficking activities, it was not really efficient. As [law enforcement] got free of all those tasks, they could address big, really big criminal organizations that perform bulk trafficking. Nowadays, by the end of the year, when [law enforcement] show their results, instead of showing grams or kilos that they seized on the street, they show tons that they apprehended in big shipments in containers on open sea”.

The above is what the Government of India and every State Government should do. This is what the Supreme Court is also hinting at, do not waste resources scouting for grams and kilos, aim for the tons.

By

Dr. G. Shreekumar Menon

Former Director General
National Academy of Customs Indirect Taxes and Narcotics,
& Multi-Disciplinary School of Economic Intelligence India,
Fellow, James Martin Centre for Non – Proliferation Studies, USA.

Fellow, Centre for International Trade & Security, University of Georgia, USA AOTS Scholar, Japan

Former Trustee New Mangalore Port Trust, Karnataka

UNODC Consultant on Narcotics & Psychotropic Substances

Former Registrar, Yenepoya Deemed to be University

Former Head, CNPS, MAHE, Manipal