(From left to right) WC Humtsoe, Executive Director, BYWC, Dimapur, M Patton, IAS, Commissioner of Excise, Nribemo Lotha, Deputy Commissioner of Excise (Narcotics), Bendangtoshi Ao, Addl Commissioner of Excise and Alem Ao, Deputy Commissioner of Excise (Hqr), taking pledge on International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Dimapur, June 26 (MExN): June 26 is International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1987 as an expression of its determination while strengthening the fight to achieve a drug free society the world over.
The state department of Excise in line with the day’s significance and to reiterate its fight against the menace of drug abuse also observed the day on Sunday, June 26. Themed ‘a fight to the finish’, the programme was organized in collaboration with the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit (DAPCU), The network of Nagaland Drug and AIDS Organizations (N-Naga DAO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It was hosted at the office of the Commissioner of Excise, Dimapur.
“It is important to celebrate international Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to make the people in general, and the youth in particular, to understand and become more aware of the ill and long term effects of illicit drug abuse,” said M Patton, Commissioner of Excise in his address. Hence, he called upon all concerned – the government agencies as well as the NGOs to support one another in the pursuit towards finding a solution to the drug menace gripping the society. “Let us help each other to help ourselves.”
For Nagaland, if the available statistics are taken into account, he stated that the scenario is rather grim. Teenagers and young adults, between the age group of 15-20 years, top the list, he disclosed. The state, being in close geographical proximity to the infamous ‘Golden Triangle’, is all the more vulnerable. For the present, he added that the influx of the dreaded drugs - heroin/brown sugar and morphine into the state has lessened compared to the period prior to 2006. On the other hand, the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs like spasmo-proxyvon, nitrosun, relipen etc has increased, which are used as alternatives to the hard drugs. “Also, it gets cheap supply, easy access to smuggled drugs from Assam,” he said.
“The use of synthetic drugs and intravenous drugs and intravenous drugs has led to the very dreaded problem of HIV/AIDS. The need and call of the hour is that, Naga society needs to be aware of the grievances and problems brought forth by illicit drug abuse, and to mobilize support for drug control.”
The state Excise enforcement with its limited manpower and field facilities are on the job, even so, he asserted. “The conviction rate of NDPS offences is highest in Nagaland and in the other North Eastern states of India.”
Disclosing the track record of the department during the period - January 2005-December 2010, he said that as many as 355 drug related offences were registered and 358 persons arrested thus. Ganja and banned pharmaceutical drugs topped the list of seizures with 40, 920 kilograms and 1, 30, 567 capsules respectively. Offences related to hard drugs like heroin, brown sugar and opium accounted for 16 of the total registered cases compared to banned pharmaceutical drugs which stood at a staggering 339 registered offences. A total of 17 vehicles, ranging from two-wheelers to heavy duty trucks, were impounded in connection with the cases during the period.
The concerted efforts of law enforcement agencies have reduced to a great extent the inflow of hard drugs, Patton remarked. “Let us all keep up the theme and attempt to fight to the finish.”
The state department of Excise in line with the day’s significance and to reiterate its fight against the menace of drug abuse also observed the day on Sunday, June 26. Themed ‘a fight to the finish’, the programme was organized in collaboration with the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit (DAPCU), The network of Nagaland Drug and AIDS Organizations (N-Naga DAO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It was hosted at the office of the Commissioner of Excise, Dimapur.
“It is important to celebrate international Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to make the people in general, and the youth in particular, to understand and become more aware of the ill and long term effects of illicit drug abuse,” said M Patton, Commissioner of Excise in his address. Hence, he called upon all concerned – the government agencies as well as the NGOs to support one another in the pursuit towards finding a solution to the drug menace gripping the society. “Let us help each other to help ourselves.”
For Nagaland, if the available statistics are taken into account, he stated that the scenario is rather grim. Teenagers and young adults, between the age group of 15-20 years, top the list, he disclosed. The state, being in close geographical proximity to the infamous ‘Golden Triangle’, is all the more vulnerable. For the present, he added that the influx of the dreaded drugs - heroin/brown sugar and morphine into the state has lessened compared to the period prior to 2006. On the other hand, the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs like spasmo-proxyvon, nitrosun, relipen etc has increased, which are used as alternatives to the hard drugs. “Also, it gets cheap supply, easy access to smuggled drugs from Assam,” he said.
“The use of synthetic drugs and intravenous drugs and intravenous drugs has led to the very dreaded problem of HIV/AIDS. The need and call of the hour is that, Naga society needs to be aware of the grievances and problems brought forth by illicit drug abuse, and to mobilize support for drug control.”
The state Excise enforcement with its limited manpower and field facilities are on the job, even so, he asserted. “The conviction rate of NDPS offences is highest in Nagaland and in the other North Eastern states of India.”
Disclosing the track record of the department during the period - January 2005-December 2010, he said that as many as 355 drug related offences were registered and 358 persons arrested thus. Ganja and banned pharmaceutical drugs topped the list of seizures with 40, 920 kilograms and 1, 30, 567 capsules respectively. Offences related to hard drugs like heroin, brown sugar and opium accounted for 16 of the total registered cases compared to banned pharmaceutical drugs which stood at a staggering 339 registered offences. A total of 17 vehicles, ranging from two-wheelers to heavy duty trucks, were impounded in connection with the cases during the period.
The concerted efforts of law enforcement agencies have reduced to a great extent the inflow of hard drugs, Patton remarked. “Let us all keep up the theme and attempt to fight to the finish.”
