Punjab Chief Minister’s Plan to Eradicate Drugs in 3 Months
Heavy-Handed Measures Likely in Yet Another Failed Attempt
March 1, 2025
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has ordered a three-month deadline for law enforcement to eliminate drugs from the state. Given that Punjab has struggled with a deep-rooted drug problem for decades, the idea of “eradicating” it within such a short time is not only unrealistic but also risks leading to heavy-handed measures that could cause more harm than good.
At a high-level meeting with police officials, Mann announced a zero-tolerance policy on narcotic drugs, directing officers to dismantle supply chains, crack down on traffickers, and implement measures to prevent youth from falling into addiction, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Special courts will be set up to fast-track cases, and convicted drug peddlers and their families will be denied government subsidies, according to the report, which added that police performance will be evaluated monthly, and non-performers will face consequences.
Mann is also reportedly planning legislative amendments to toughen drug laws, urging community involvement in the fight against drugs. He has ordered stricter oversight of rehabilitation centres and chemist shops.
Further, he announced large-scale public engagement campaigns, anti-drug school curricula and support for affected families.
Historically, the consumption of substances like alcohol, opium and cannabis has been prevalent in the region. In the British colonial era, opium was freely available, and its use was widespread.
The Green Revolution of the 1970s brought increased prosperity to Punjab, which, in turn, led to a rise in alcohol consumption. By the 1990s, synthetic drugs, including heroin and other opioids, began infiltrating the state.
In recent years, the situation has reached alarming proportions. A 2019 study conducted as part of the National Mental Health Survey reported that roughly 11.3% of Punjab’s population suffers from substance use disorders, with 7.9% affected by alcohol use disorders and 2.5% by other illicit substances. The prevalence is notably higher among males and peaks in the 30-39 age group.
The impact on youth is particularly concerning. Reports indicate that nearly 75% of Punjab’s youth are addicted to drugs, primarily opioids, according to a report published in The Times of India. Additionally, of the more than 6.6 million drug users in the state, approximately 697,000 are children aged 10-17, with 343,000 of them using opioids, said a report submitted to the parliament in 2023, as reported by DW.
Punjab’s high drug use is driven by economic, social and geographical factors. For example, the state is located along the India-Pakistan border, a key transit point for heroin and other narcotics smuggled from Afghanistan through Pakistan. Unemployment, especially among youth, has played a major role. The decline of agriculture, once Punjab’s economic backbone, has worsened financial instability. Easy availability of synthetic drugs and opioids, combined with lax enforcement and political connections shielding traffickers, has further fuelled the crisis.
Efforts to combat this crisis are praiseworthy. However, this new initiative looks pretty much like past campaigns in other states and countries that have largely relied on law enforcement muscle rather than addressing the deeper social and economic factors behind drug addiction.
The deadline for eradicating drugs appears to be set arbitrarily, as if addiction can be solved like an administrative backlog, and it risks turning into a blunt-force policy that criminalises people rather than rehabilitating them.
Such hurried measures often lead to over-policing and heavy-handed enforcement, disproportionately targeting low-level offenders while major traffickers find ways to evade punishment. Denying subsidies to drug peddlers’ families, for instance, risks punishing children and dependents who may have no role in the crimes committed. The focus on raids, mass arrests and property demolitions also raises concerns about due process and human rights violations.
More importantly, addiction should also be seen as a health crisis, not just a law-and-order issue. While the plan includes steps for rehabilitation and awareness, they appear secondary to aggressive policing. Without long-term investment in healthcare, employment opportunities and social support, these periodic crackdowns are unlikely to create lasting change.
Punjab has seen similar anti-drug drives before—each announced with urgency, each failing to deliver a permanent solution. If history is any guide, this latest push may follow the same pattern.
