Over 26,000 drug addicts join Punjab de-addiction programme during curfew

A break in supply of drugs in curfew-bound Punjab has given an impetus to the state's de-addiction measures, with over26,000 drug addicts joining the government-run de-addiction programme.

Punjab has been reeling under the drug menace for years and the recent lockdown due to coronavirus and the subsequent curfew in the state has broken the supply chain of narcotics to the state.

Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that on the directives of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, a special campaign is being launched to register new patients under the de-addiction rogramme in the state.

"During the curfew period, more than 26,000 patients have been registered," he said.

As per the data available with the state health department, 4.14 lakh addicts were registered with it. These included 1.55 lakh at OutPatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT)centres, 2.15 lakh in de-addiction centres and more than 30,000 in rehabilitation centres before the lockdown.

Now the figure is 4.40 lakh, an increase .