National drug survey to examine indigenous substance use patterns, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• The Union government's National Drug Use Survey (NDUS) will be conducted throughout 2026, covering approximately 20 lakh individuals nationwide.
• The survey aims to assess the extent and patterns of substance use and substance use disorders at the State and district levels.
• For the first time, the survey will document "indigenous forms of substance use" and associated socio-economic and health concerns.
• The survey will analyze substance use among specific populations like prison inmates, school students, and those in higher education.
• The survey will also study the feasibility of wastewater testing to assess community-level drug use.
• The survey is funded by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and conducted by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre of AIIMS.

Detailed Insights:

• The upcoming NDUS round occurs nearly a decade after the previous survey in 2017-18, which covered about five lakh individuals.
• The survey will explore whether the use of locally grown or prepared substances with social sanction is as harmful as contemporary substance use patterns.
• Substances of interest include various forms of alcoholic beverages, opium, and cannabis used by communities in India.
• The sample will be drawn through a household survey covering 400 districts and a respondent-driven sampling survey from drug-dependent populations in approximately 350 districts.
• The household survey will include men and women aged 10 to 75, covering about 4.4 lakh households and 17.6 lakh individuals.
• The respondent-driven sampling will include around 2.1 lakh individuals from drug-dependent populations.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Substance Use: The use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs.
• Substance Use Disorder: A mental disorder characterized by a problematic pattern of substance use.
• Respondent-Driven Sampling: A sampling technique used to reach populations that are difficult to access.