Prelims : Current events of national and international importance | Governance

Why in News?

The Union government has invited proposals to set up District De-Addiction Centres (DDACs) in 291 “gap” districts identified by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

• Gap districts – It have been identified as those that currently have no Centrally supported infrastructure to treat or rehabilitate people who are dealing with substance abuse or dependence.
• Gap Districts - Highest number of gap districts have been identified in Chhattisgarh.
• Other states having highest gap districts are Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Assam.
• Under - National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction.
  • It provides for the Social Justice Ministry to support
    • Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs),
    • Community-based Peer Led Initiatives (CPLIs),
    • Outreach and Drop-in Centres (ODICs), and DDACs.
• DDAC is supposed to house a treatment cum rehabilitation centre, an area for drop-in centre facilities, and an area for CPLI facilities.
• The DDACs can have the capacity to house 15 or 30 patients at a time, with specific norms of minimum requirements prescribed for them.
• DDACs would conduct primary prevention activities through awareness programs among the vulnerable and affected community and engage in risk mitigation of substance use among children/adolescents/youth. 
• This will include
  • Preventing substance use,
  • Identifying peer educators in the communities,
  • Implementing early prevention education,
  • Identifying adolescents or children using substances and referring them to rehabilitation centres or treatment facilities, among other activities.

The National Survey of Extent and Pattern of Substance Use 2017-18 estimated, that about 1.18 crore children and adolescents using various psychoactive substances.

Reference

The Hindu | De-addiction centres