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2 clusters · 4 sources · 7 days · First seen · Last updated

Punjab drug addiction prevention and treatment initiatives

Overview

The Punjab government has implemented several initiatives under the ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ (War Against Drugs) campaign to address substance abuse.

To prevent addiction among youth, the state launched an evidence-based school curriculum developed in collaboration with CEGA, the University of California, Berkeley, and J-PAL. This program aims to debunk misconceptions regarding the risks of opioids and the complexities of recovery.

Concurrently, the state’s treatment infrastructure has seen a significant rise in usage. Following the campaign's launch in March 2025, admissions to government-run de-addiction centres increased from 9,577 in 2024 to 25,290 in 2025. Rehabilitation centre admissions also grew from 2,644 in 2024 to 8,574 in 2025. Additionally, new registrations at Outpatient Opioid-Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinics rose from 13,033 in 2024 to 17,702 in 2025.

Entities

Esther Duflo · Punjab · University of California, Berkeley · Bhagwant Mann Government · J-PAL

Timeline

  1. 8 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Punjab government launches school curriculum to combat drug addiction

    The Punjab government has introduced an evidence-based school curriculum, developed with J-PAL and UC Berkeley, to prevent drug addiction by debunking myths about substance abuse among youth.

  2. 15 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Punjab de-addiction centre admissions surge following state initiative

    Punjab's government de-addiction and rehabilitation centre admissions have surged, with de-addiction centre entries rising over 164 per cent in 2025 following the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ initiative.

Sources

earlynews24.com · hindikhabar.com · newsx.com · timesnownews.com