While alcohol addiction affects an estimated 57 million Indians, a major study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has revealed that a whopping 7.2 million people in India are addicted to cannabis — charas, ganja, bhang — as it is known locally. The report by the National Drug Dependent Treatment Centre (NDDTC) under AIIMS said every one out of three alcohol users needs to be accessed for medical help in alcohol-related issues, which develops due to the harmful intake of alcohol. The first of its kind, the study titled ‘ National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India ’ was conducted across the country — including all states and union territories — interviewing over 500,000 people in India.
The study had respondents between 10 to 75 years of age. According to the alarming conclusions drawn from the study, nearly 16% — which is around 1.6 billion of the…
