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- The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed annually on 26 June.
- The decision to mark the day was taken in 1987 via resolution 42/112 of the United Nations General Assembly
- The observance seeks to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society. It aims to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.
- The theme for 2019 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is ‘Health for Justice. Justice for Health’. It highlights the justice and health are two sides of the same coin when it comes to addressing drug problems.
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), established in 1997, is the chief international organization which helps countries to combat illicit drugs, crime and terrorism.
- In February 2019, the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi submitted its report “Magnitude of Substance Use in India”.
- The key findings of the survey were: a) at the national level, about 14.6% of the people the ages of 10 and 75 are current users of alcohol. b) About 2.8% of Indians have reported using any cannabis product within the past 12 months. c) Around 2.06% of the people reported using opioids at the time of the survey and d) there are about 8.5 lakh people who inject drugs (PWID).
- The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has prepared a National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) for 2018-25. The aim is to reduce the adverse consequences of drug abuse and addiction by creating awareness and educating people about the ill-effects of drug use.