National Fund to Control Drug Abuse

National Fund to Control Drug Abuse

Part of: Prelims and GS II – Policies and interventions 

Context The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has recently recommended that the National Fund to Control Drug Abuse be used to carry out de-addiction programmes, rather than just policing activities.

Key takeaways 

• The fund was created in accordance with a provision of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and had a nominal corpus of Rs. 23 crore.
• The Fund shall be applied by the Central Government to meet the expenditure incurred in connection with the measures taken for combating illicit traffic in, or controlling abuse of, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for all or any of the purposes specified in sub-section (1) of section 71.

About The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985

• It is also known as the NDPS Act.
• It prohibits any individual from engaging in any activity consisting of production, cultivation, sale, purchase, transport, storage, and/or consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance.

About psychotropics and Narcotics 

• From a medical point of view, psychotropics designate chemical substances that act upon the mind, that is on the conscious or unconscious mental life of an individual.
• Narcotics include substances that cause stupor (unconscious), muscular relaxation and a reduction or elimination of sensitivity.