ITANAGAR, Sep 21: The Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) is going to conduct the first national survey on ‘Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India’ and would include the North eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
This was informed by Director of Regional Resource & Training Centre, North East 2 (Kripa Foundation Nagaland), Abou Mere during a state level consultation meeting on ‘National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India’, held on Thursday at the Civil Secretariat in Itanagar.
AIIMS New Delhi has been designated as the lead technical agency by MoSJE to coordinate and implement the project at the national level.
The RRTC NE 2 (Kripa Foundation Nagaland) will take the lead in the research project, with technical support from AIIMS New Delhi, NISD New Delhi and RIIMS Imphal in three states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
The survey will be carried out in about 25 percent of the districts in each state.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the survey will be conducted in the four districts of Papum Pare, Tawang, West Siang and Tirap.
This study will help the department understand the magnitude and proportion of population using substances and the response so far in addressing its impact. The research will also look into the gaps in policies and programmes for drug demand and harm reduction in the national level as well as state level.
Mere also informed that for the survey, there are openings for the post of District Supervisor and Field Interviewer for household sample survey. He invited interested individuals having the qualifications of Psychology or Social Work to contact the RRTC NE2.
The programme was organized by the state Department of Social Justice & Empowerment and Tribal Affairs and chaired by SJETA Secretary, Madhu K Garg.
