India seeks more liberal UN, WHO policies to treat drug abuse patients

What is the News?

India has addressed the 65th meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs.

What is the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs?

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs(CND) was established by the UN Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC) in 1946.

Mandate: CND reviews and analyzes the global drug situation, considering supply and demand reduction.

​​The CND meets annually when it considers and adopts a range of decisions and resolutions.

Membership: CND membership consists of 53 states serving four-year terms, with the distribution of seats among regions.

Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.

What are the key highlights from India’s address to the 65th meeting of the CND?

India has urged the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC) and the World Health Organization(WHO) to bring in more liberal policies to treat drug abuse disorders, such as domestic protocol for telemedicine and controlled drugs to treat patients with drug abuse disorders.

Note: According to a 2019 report on Substance Abuse in India by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, 7.2 million of the approximately 31 million cannabis users were problem users. Of the 24 million users of opioids, 7.7 million were problem users, and of the 7.7 million individuals who used inhalers, 2.2 million were problem users.

Source: This post is based on the article “India seeks more liberal UN, WHO policies to treat drug abuse patients” published in Livemint on 21st Mar 2022.