49% Opium usage among drug abuse cases in Phek: Legal Counsel

Phek, August 29 (MExN): Drug abuse and involvement in drug-related illegal activities remained a serious concern in Phek district, with over 1,000 youths in the district headquarters alone involved in substance use, a legal official said on Saturday.Addressing a legal awareness programme organised by Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA) in collaboration with Phek District Legal Authority (DLSA) and other organisations, the PRA, NSLSA in a press release stated, Legal Aid Defense Counsel (LADC) Vethothi Vero said opium use accounts for nearly 49% of the substance abuse cases in the area. “The society is no longer alien to the presence and use of illicit drugs... This is a vicious cycle with adverse consequences for families and society,” Vero said, stressing the need for strong and proactive intervention by village leaders and the youth. He also called for a compassionate approach towards persons struggling with addiction and highlighted the importance of reporting drug-related activities to the police.Referring to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, Vero informed that the law prescribes stringent punishment for serious drug offences, with imprisonment extending up to 20 years in certain cases.He also highlighted the availability of de-addiction and rehabilitation services, including Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST), and encouraged persons struggling with addiction to seek professional help, adding that addiction can be treated with appropriate support and rehabilitation.The legal awareness programme was held at the ZAPO Hall in Zuketsa and was jointly organised by the NSLSA, DLSA Phek, Controller of Legal Metrology and Consumer Protection, Nagaland, and Zuketsa Area Public Organization (ZAPO).