New Delhi: Shocking figures were revealed in a survey conducted on drug addiction in the country. According to the survey, the number of drug addicts in the country is more than the population of the United States, whereas, the number of alcohol addicts is equal to the population of Russia.

The Ministry of Social Welfare and Empowerment with the help of the National Drug Dependence Treatment Center in AIIMS Delhi has conducted the survey. The survey shows that about 37 crore people, which is somewhere equivalent to America’s population, in the country are in the grip of drugs.  According to the survey, the number of alcoholics in the country is 16 crores, which is equal to the population of Russia.

19% of addicts consume alcohol daily

According to a report published in Dainik Bhaskar, 19 percent of the addicts are those who consume alcohol daily. There are 20 lakh minors (children below the age of 17) who consume marijuana. The country’s 2.26 crore population i.e. 2.1 percent of the total population takes drugs like opium, Doda, heroin, smack, and brown sugar.

Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, NCT Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal have the highest drug addicts.

According to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), large consignments of drugs (cocaine, heroin) are brought to India from countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda via Dubai, and Sharjah. According to NCB, drug traffickers smuggle these drugs in the form of baggage or capsules.

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