Too harsh to work

The call to ‘shun drugs, not addicts’ makes little sense as the narcotics law criminalises drug use
Anand Grover and Tripti Tandon
The Indian Express (India)
Wednesday, December 17, 2014

india-bhang-shopThere is no appetite in India for a serious conversation on drugs. The prime minister’s recent radio talk on the subject confirms that. Yet, drugs and laws to deal with them engage civil liberties, health and justice in a fundamental way that cannot be ignored. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) is one of the harshest laws in the country. No country can "arrest" its way out of the drug problem. Many countries, particularly in Europe and Latin America, have decriminalised personal use and possession of drugs in varying degrees and seen no adverse consequences. (See also: Drug policy in India)