Alcohol and Drug problem

Alcohol and drug abuse has become one of Nagaland’s most persistent public health, social and developmental challenges. Nearly four decades ago, in 1989, the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act was enacted with the clear intention of keeping alcohol out of society. The law was a strong statement of principle, but the reality today exposes a painful gap between legislation and life. Alcohol has not disappeared. Rather, it has moved into a thriving illegal market, while a more dangerous opioid and injecting drug crisis has emerged alongside it. The experience raises a basic question- can prohibition alone deal with a problem that is deeply rooted in social behaviour, trafficking, addiction and inadequate treatment? Government officials cite figures to the scale of the challenge, of nearly 3.62 lakh alcohol users, around 40,000 people who inject drugs and about 6.24 lakh substance users. The National Family Health Survey adds another warning sign. More than a quarter of adult men in Nagaland reported consuming alcohol in 2023–24, an increase from the previous survey round, while tobacco use affects more than half of men. At the same time, the figures must be read carefully. They come from different surveys, with different methods, definitions and periods. The figures for alcohol users, injecting drug users and total substance users were publicly cited by officials from a 2021 Union Ministry survey, but their precise meaning requires reference to the original technical data. Sound policy cannot be built either on denial or exaggerated statistics. Evidence must be accurate before it can be useful. What is beyond dispute, however, is Nagaland’s particular vulnerability. The state lies close to major trafficking routes and has porous borders connected to Myanmar and Manipur. Non medical use of sedatives is another concern. Opioids and sedatives are especially dangerous because dependency can develop rapidly, while injecting drugs creates further risks of overdose and blood borne infections. The greatest weakness, however, may lie not in the absence of laws but in the shortage of treatment. National evidence shows that only a small proportion of people suffering from alcohol or drug dependence ever receive proper treatment. Prohibition may remain a legitimate policy choice, but it cannot be mistaken for a complete solution. A law can restrict legal supply, but it cannot by itself eliminate demand, cure addiction or persuade a dependent person to seek help. Nagaland must strengthen enforcement against trafficking while simultaneously expanding prevention, counselling, rehabilitation and evidence based treatment. Schools and colleges need sustained awareness programmes, families need support, and young people must be given healthier alternatives to substance use. Treatment must also move beyond the idea that addiction is simply a moral failure. It is a serious health and social problem requiring professional care. The real test of the prohibition law is not how strongly it is defended in public but whether it is reducing harm in private. Nagaland cannot continue measuring success by the existence of a law while addiction grows beneath the surface. The state needs an honest assessment of what prohibition has achieved, where it has failed and what must now be done differently. The objective should not merely be to punish users or seize bottles and drugs. It must be to prevent addiction, break trafficking networks, expand treatment and reclaim lives. Only then can prohibition become part of a broader public health strategy rather than a substitute for one.