Legal context
Many Asian countries retain strict criminal penalties for drug possession and supply, although some are expanding health services or reviewing cannabis and treatment policy.
Health response (HRI 2024)
Harm Reduction International (2024) reports at least one operational service in India: needle & syringe programmes, opioid agonist therapy. Inside prisons: OAT. National policy documents include an explicit supportive reference to harm reduction.
Youth leadership
Young people often face stigma and limited formal consultation, making peer education, rights literacy and safe participation especially important.
NDPS Act framework; state-level harm reduction leadership.
Drug policy briefing
What young people should know about drug policy in India
Decriminalisation
Criminalised, small-quantity reliefThe NDPS Act criminalises possession but distinguishes small quantities with lower penalties. Reform proposals for personal use are under debate.
Evidence · Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985.
Harm Reduction
Publicly funded in statesNeedle exchange and OAT are integrated into the National AIDS Control Programme, with strong coverage in several north-eastern states.
Evidence · NACO; Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Youth Participation
Strong civil societyYouth-led networks contribute to state consultations and the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan youth outreach.
Evidence · SSDP India; India HIV/AIDS Alliance.
Treatment Systems
Mixed public / NGOTreatment is delivered through IRCAs, DDACs and NGOs; access to OAT varies substantially by state.
Evidence · Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Sources · Harm Reduction International, Global State of Harm Reduction 2024 · UNODC · WHO · EMCDDA/EUDA · national laws and civil-society monitoring. Last reviewed Harm Reduction International 2024.
Start locally
No active SSDP chapter is listed for India yet. Young people can start with peer education, coalition-building and the chapter starter pathway.
Open pathwayCompare policy
Use Policy Lab to compare India with countries that have decriminalisation, harm reduction or youth-participation reforms.
Open pathwayFind support
If someone needs urgent medical, legal or crisis support, use the help pathway and contact qualified local services.
Open pathway