Six percent of Nagaland's population affected by drug abuse: DGP

Kohima, June 26: Describing drug abuse as one of Nagaland’s “most serious challenges”, Director General of Police Rupin Sharma on Friday said the state is facing a full-blown crisis, with an estimated 5.5 to 6 per cent of its population affected by addiction.

Addressing a 5-km Awareness Run to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Sharma warned that Nagaland is “very, very vulnerable” to the narcotics trade because of its proximity to Myanmar and the Golden Triangle, one of the world’s largest illicit opium-producing regions.

He said drugs trafficked through Myanmar and neighbouring Manipur are penetrating deep into Nagaland, with the state’s road network serving as a major transit corridor.

Calling addiction a threat to an entire generation, the DGP urged young people to avoid experimenting with drugs even once.

“Drugs do not solve personal or emotional problems. They only make them worse,” Sharma said, adding that many users become trapped in a cycle of dependency, suffer severe health complications and eventually lose control over their lives.

He revealed that Nagaland Police have handled numerous cases where addicts and traffickers required emergency medical intervention due to withdrawal symptoms and said many families across the state had already lost loved ones to substance abuse.

Appealing for a collective response, Sharma said the battle against drugs cannot be won by the police alone and called for a whole-of-society approach involving parents, educational institutions, civil society organisations and community leaders.

In a strong message to the public, the DGP urged citizens not to conceal the addiction of family members or friends.

“People suffering from addiction need treatment and counselling. Those trafficking and selling drugs are the real criminals and must be brought to justice,” he said.

He emphasised that addiction is a medical condition requiring clinical and psychological intervention, as well as moral and spiritual support. Stressing the need for more mental health professionals, Sharma encouraged students to pursue psychology as a career to address the state’s growing counselling requirements.

The DGP assured that people seeking help for their own addiction would not face prosecution and would instead receive assistance. Police efforts, he said, would remain focused on dismantling drug supply networks and prosecuting traffickers under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

To widen awareness, Nagaland Police also hosted a Facebook Live session today covering legal provisions under the NDPS Act, treatment and rehabilitation options, and the role of parents and youth leaders in preventing substance abuse. Schools and colleges were urged to organise group viewing sessions.

Sharma also called on physically fit youth to join the Nagaland Police, stating that recent recruitment exercises had been conducted in a fair and merit-based manner.

Urging citizens to uphold the anti-drug pledge, he appealed for greater public cooperation to build a drug-free Nagaland.

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