Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan

A National Movement Towards a Drug-Free India

6th May, 2025

Summary

• Launched on 15 August 2020 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Nasha
Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) is a nationwide campaign addressing substance abuse
through prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.

• Backed by a three-pronged strategy—supply control, demand reduction, and medical

treatment—led by key ministries and local administrations.

• Through grassroots outreach, over 15.58 crore people, including 5.20 crore youth and 3.30
crore women, have been sensitised.

• More than 27.76 lakh individuals treated, 730+ free centres, and 10,000+ Master
Volunteers trained to support de-addiction efforts.

• The integration of tech tools, helplines, and institutional partnerships has strengthened
India’s fight for a drug-free society.

Drug addiction is a significant and growing concern across India, posing serious challenges to
individuals, families, and society at large. It particularly affects the younger generation, leading to severe
consequences, including rising crime rates, strained interpersonal relationships, limited economic
prospects, and a broader detrimental impact on societal well-being. Substance use disorders constitute a
major public health issue, intertwined with psychological distress, prejudice, stigmatisation, and
community instability. Additionally, factors such as genetic susceptibility, mental health conditions, and
dysfunctional family environments, including child abuse or neglect, significantly increase the
vulnerability of individuals to substance abuse.

Article 47 of the Constitution of India, under the Directive Principles of State Policy, places a moral
obligation on the State to curb the consumption of intoxicating substances that are injurious to health.
In alignment with this constitutional mandate, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
launched the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) in 2018, with a roadmap
extending till 2025. The NAPDDR aims to address the growing challenge of substance abuse through a
comprehensive framework focused on preventive education, awareness generation, counselling,
treatment, and rehabilitation.
 Assessing the Challenge: Key Findings from the National Survey (2018)

To accurately gauge the extent of this crisis, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, in
collaboration with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) at AIIMS, New
Delhi, conducted India’s first-ever comprehensive survey on substance abuse in 2018. The findings,
published in 2019, provided crucial insights into the magnitude of drug dependency across the country:

Alcohol emerged as the most widely consumed psychoactive substance, with approximately 16
crore individuals using it. Of these, more than 5.7 crore people are severely affected, requiring
immediate treatment and support for harmful or dependent alcohol use.

Cannabis ranked second, with around 3.1 crore individuals consuming cannabis products, of
whom approximately 25 lakh suffer from severe dependency.

Opioids, one of the most harmful categories of drugs, are used by approximately 2.26 crore
individuals, with nearly 77 lakh requiring urgent intervention and support.

An alarming 8.5 lakh people are estimated to inject drugs intravenously, primarily concentrated
in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

An alarming trend is the high prevalence of inhalant usage among children and adolescents,
significantly exceeding adult consumption.

Substance abuse disproportionately affects males, who significantly outnumber females

across all substances studied.

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan

Recognising the critical challenge of substance abuse, the

Government of India launched the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
(NMBA) on 15 August 2020, a key initiative under the National
Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR). Initially
implemented in 272 high-risk districts—identified through the
National Survey on Substance Use and inputs from the Narcotics
Control Bureau (NCB)—the Abhiyaan has since expanded to
encompass all districts nationwide. Envisioned as a
transformative nation-building mission, NMBA aims to foster a
healthy, disciplined, and drug-free youth population, thereby
contributing to the broader goal of national development and social well-being.
 Milestones of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) as of 4th May 2025

Objectives

❖ Preventive education, awareness generation, identification, counselling, treatment, and

rehabilitation of individuals with substance dependence, training, and capacity building of the
service providers

❖ Create awareness and educate people about the ill-effects of substance dependence on the
individual, family, workplace, and society at large and reduce stigmatisation and
discrimination against groups and individuals dependent on substances to integrate them back
into society.

❖ Develop human resources and build capacity for providing community-based services;
formulate and implement comprehensive guidelines, schemes, and programmes; undertake
drug demand reduction efforts; and facilitate research, training, documentation, and
innovation.
 Stakeholders & Target Groups

Key Components & Strategies

NMBA employs a three-pronged strategy:

1. Supply Control: Managed by the Narcotics Control Bureau.

2. Demand Reduction & Awareness: Led by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
through extensive outreach and awareness activities.

3. Treatment & Rehabilitation: Provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

District Level Nasha Mukt Committees, headed by District Collectors/Magistrates, develop and
implement localised action plans focusing on:
The ministry supports organisations that work for preventive education & awareness generation on
substance abuse, capacity building, treatment and rehabilitation. These organizations are:

❖ Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs): Integrated Rehabilitation Center

for Addicts (IRCAs) are de-addiction centres with inpatient facilities of counselling and
treatment for drug dependent persons.
❖ Community-Based Peer-Led Interventions (CPLI): Community Peer led Intervention
(CPLI) work with the community with youth volunteers for early preventive education
especially for vulnerable adolescents and youth in the community.
❖ Outreach and Drop-In Centres (ODICs): Outreach and Drop-in Centers (ODIC) provides
facilities of screening, assessment and counselling along with providing referral and linkage
to treatment and rehabilitation services for drug dependents.
❖ Geo Location: Ministry supported institutions providing Drug addiction counseling,
treatment and rehabilitation and other facilities have been Geo-tagged to make their services
accessible and easier to locate.
 Technological Innovations

• NMBA Website: Offers comprehensive resources, real-time dashboards, e-pledge options, and
expert-led discussion forums

[Link]
• NMBA Mobile App: Collects and monitors ground-level data, with wide usage by Master
Volunteers.

• National Toll-free Helpline (14446): Provides primary counselling and immediate referral
services.
Conclusion
The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has evolved into a powerful nationwide movement, effectively
mobilising communities and engaging diverse stakeholders in a unified effort to tackle the menace of
substance abuse. Through targeted interventions, extensive awareness campaigns, innovative
technological tools, and robust grassroots participation, the Abhiyaan fosters positive behavioural
changes and empowers individuals and communities. As the campaign continues to expand and
strengthen its impact, India moves closer to realising its vision of a healthier, resilient, and drug-free
future for all its citizens.

References

• [Link]
• Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan - Assessment Report – 2021
[Link]
• [Link]
• [Link]
• [Link]
.pdf
• [Link]
• Best practices in social sector: A compendium 2023 - [Link]
05/[Link]#page=78
• [Link]

Santosh Kumar / Sarla Meena / Vatsla Srivastava