Chandigarh, Jul 9 ( Press ke takat)
\n(PTI) Under the AAP government\u2019s \u2018Yudh Nashean Virudh\u2019 campaign launched in March 2025, 10,656 drug addicts have so far been granted immunity from prosecution under Section 64A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
\nInstead of being prosecuted for consuming illegal drugs or possessing small quantities for personal use, they have been admitted to government-run de-addiction and rehabilitation centres for treatment and recovery, an official statement issued here on Thursday said.
\nThe Punjab Police registered 51,516 FIRs under the NDPS Act and arrested 67,519 persons from March 1, 2025, to July 6, 2026. During the same time, over 10,000 people were given immunity from prosecution, reflecting the force\u2019s dual approach of curbing the supply of drugs in Punjab and connecting people in need of health intervention with the state facilities, it said.
\n\u201cThis compassionate view of the state reflects its understanding that individuals suffering from substance abuse need rehabilitation and treatment rather than punishment. It is, in effect, also a proof that Section 64A of the NDPS Act is being used as intended by the state,\u201d the statement said.
\n\u201cThe provision grants immunity from prosecution to drug addicts who voluntarily undergo de-addiction treatment, allowing them to avoid the punishment otherwise prescribed under relevant sections of the Act,\u201d it added.
\nMedical professionals assess each beneficiary and prepare an individualised treatment plan that includes detoxification, psychiatric care, counselling, behavioural therapy, and relapse prevention, it said.
\nGiven the recent success of this programme, in the days to come, the police will continue to connect more victims to de-addiction and rehabilitation centres.<\/p>\n
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said, \u201cThe fight against drugs is not only about arresting peddlers but also about giving every person trapped in addiction a fair chance to recover.
\n\u201cWe as a police force remain committed to supporting every effort that combines strict enforcement with compassion to ensure the state gets rid of drug addiction as early as possible for the better future of our youth,\u201d he said.
\nThe Punjab government\u2019s anti-drug strategy stands on two pillars: enforcement against drug traffickers and a compassionate, evidence-based approach towards victims of addiction.
\nWhile law enforcement agencies continue to intensify action against hardcore smugglers and peddlers, equal emphasis is being placed on identifying drug addicts to facilitate their rehabilitation and help them reintegrate with their families, the statement said.<\/p>\n
By encouraging arrested addicts to volunteer for rehabilitation and treatment, the cycle of addiction gets broken. The government has brought thousands into the formal treatment system instead of incarcerating them.
\nNilabh Kishore, Additional DGP, Anti-Narcotics Task Force, said, \u201cIdentifying the thin line between a criminal and a victim ensures that we can bring people who have strayed into drug addiction into the fold of society.
\n\u201cHence, a person who may turn into a potential criminal tomorrow is made to undergo treatment at the opportune moment so that he reintegrates into society,\u201d he said.
\nAddiction is a treatable medical condition, and those struggling with drug addiction, as well as their families, should come forward to undergo drug de-addiction, he said. PTI SUN RHL<\/p>\n
#Punjab #DeAddiction #PublicHealth #NDPSAct #Rehabilitation #PunjabPolice<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chandigarh, Jul 9 ( Press ke takat) (PTI) Under the AAP government\u2019s \u2018Yudh Nashean Virudh\u2019 campaign launched in March 2025, 10,656 drug addicts have so far been granted immunity from prosecution under Section 64A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Instead of being prosecuted for consuming illegal drugs or possessing small quantities […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":65152,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[9852,10243,25,20,16185,9919,1,40921,3],"tags":[41058,41061,41059,41056,41057,41060],"class_list":["post-65151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking","category-chandigarh","category-english-news","category-india","category-national","category-politics","category-punjab","category-viral","category-world","tag-and-medical-intervention","tag-and-simultaneously-allow-law-enforcement-to-focus-their-resources-on-tracking-down-high-level-drug-smugglers-and-cross-border-traffickers","tag-authorities-are-attempting-to-break-the-cycle-of-addiction","tag-by-focusing-on-demand-reduction","tag-counselling","tag-help-victims-reintegrate-into-society"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65151"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65153,"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65151\/revisions\/65153"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/presskitaquat.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}