On 7th March, several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs batted for allowing poppy cultivation and the sale of opium and poppy husks in the state. They argued that it would help to wean the youth away from synthetic drugs. The demand was first raised during the question hour by Sangrur MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra who asked the agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian if there was any plan to allow the cultivation of poppy in the state to curb the synthetic drugs and if so, what was the time frame set for it.
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwa asked the Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian that why opium shops in Punjab were closed. pic.twitter.com/lZD6Yt7wXe
— Gagandeep Singh (@Gagan4344) March 7, 2024
AAP MLA argued that he never heard of someone dying of taking opium. However, youth die by overdose of synthetic drugs, he said. His question to the agriculture minister resulted in a lighter atmosphere in the state assembly. However, it led to demanding an answer from the Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan. When the agriculture minister said there was no plan to allow poppy cultivation in the state, the Speaker asked the minister to look into when and why the opium shops were shut in the state.
The Speaker added, “The MLA has asked a question which has put a glow on the faces of many here. I am also entering an age where I may need such things.” Drugs are a major issue in Punjab. Earlier, addicts from Punjab were leaning towards opium and poppy husk. However, over the past couple of decades, the penetration of synthetic drugs expanded dramatically in the state. Every political party has promised to curb the addiction problem in the state but failed miserably.
AAP MLA claimed no one dies of opium
Speaking on the matter, Pathanmajra claimed that he never heard of someone who had died of taking opium or poppy husk. Stating the menace of drugs in the state, he argued that smack and tablets have destroyed the youth of Punjab. He said, “The situation has worsened after 2007 and now the situation is such that 136 de-addiction centres have opened in Punjab. In previous times people used to take traditional drugs and do their work too. No one can say that someone they knew died due to opium or poppy husk consumption. From 2020 to March 31, 2023, around 266 people have died due to addiction to synthetic drugs. From March 2023 to March 2024, 159 more people have died. Many countries in the world have legalised some drugs and these are traditional. Poppy cultivation is already taking place in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. If done in Punjab it will increase the revenue of the state.”
He added if cultivation cannot be allowed then at least opium shops should be allowed in the state so that the youth could be saved. He further claimed that the opposition too supported his argument but was afraid to voice it for fear of being ridiculed.
AAP MLA Manjir Singh Bilaspur came in support of Pathanmajra and said, “I fully support the point raised by my colleague regarding the cultivation of poppy. Our elders have been partaking opium or poppy husk and used to do all sorts of hard work in the field and no one used to die of it. I urge the government to seriously consider poppy cultivation. Many ‘vaid’ and doctors prescribe opium for patients of paralytic attack.”
AAP MLA Kulwant Singh Bazigar also supports Pathanmajra’s demand. He said synthetic drugs have led to the death of many youths in the state. AAP MLA Fauja Singh Sarari pointed out that then-Chief Minister Zail Singh ordered the shutting down of opium shops in the state.
Statistic reports on drug problem in Punjab
In 2015, the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses in collaboration with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi, published the Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey report. The survey was conducted in ten districts Bathinda, Ferozpur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur and Tarn Taran. The data was collected from 3,620 opioid-dependent individuals across the 10 districts. The report suggested that the addicts in Punjab varied from the age of 18 to 35. 99 per cent of the addicts were male and 54 per cent of them were married. Most were unskilled workers followed by farmers, clerks, businessmen, transport workers and skilled workers. 56 per cent of the addicts belonged to rural areas. The most common drug used in these districts was heroin followed by opium/doda/phukki.
The most common reason for starting drugs was “peer influence”. On average, heroin addicts were spending around Rs 1,400 on the drugs per day. On the other hand, opium users were spending around Rs 340 per day followed by pharmaceutical opioid users who were spending Rs 265 per day on drugs.
While 80 per cent tried to give up drugs, only 35 per cent received any support. Only 16 per cent of them received any medical treatment for withdrawal symptoms. Only 10 per cent of them received Opioid Substitution Therapy or OST. The report suggested there were around 2.32 lakh drug addicts in the state in 2014.
Another survey titled Magnitude of Substance Use In India was conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of the Government of India. its report was published in 2019. According to the report, 27 lakh residents of Punjab needed help for alcohol problems in 2018. Around 5.7 lakh people needed help for cannabis-related problems. Around 7.2 lakh people needed help for opioid-related problems. Around 2 lakh people needed help with sedative-related problems. Furthermore, the report suggested that 0.32 per cent of children in the state were dependent on drugs and 1.79 per cent of the children were using drugs.
