# Punjab drug addiction prevention and treatment initiatives > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/punjab-drug-addiction-prevention-and-treatment-initiatives > Updated: 2026-09-14T00:00:00.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. 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. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-14: 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 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/punjab-government-launches-school-curriculum-to-combat-drug-addiction ### 2026-09-07: 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. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/punjab-de-addiction-centre-admissions-surge-following-state-initiative --- Cite as: Punjab drug addiction prevention and treatment initiatives. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/punjab-drug-addiction-prevention-and-treatment-initiatives