Punjab First State to Conduct Drug Census

March 29, 2026

Punjabi youth have historically harbored a deep-seated passion for migrating abroad. However, avenues for overseas travel have now become restricted due to the tightening of immigration laws. To safeguard and nurture its young population, the Punjab government, immediately upon assuming office, launched an anti-drug campaign aimed at providing employment opportunities to the youth and shielding them from the scourge of drug abuse. In just the past year, 52,331 drug traffickers have been arrested.

Furthermore, 36,686 cases have been registered against offenders under anti-narcotics laws. Over 33,000 kilograms of illicit narcotics have been seized. To facilitate the flow of information, anti-drug volunteers have been appointed across 13,000 villages.

Additionally, 23,940 individuals have received treatment at drug rehabilitation centers. As a result of these measures, 4,500 villages in Punjab have declared themselves drug-free. Moreover, Punjab boasts the highest conviction rate for drug-related offenders in the entire country. Last year alone—in 2025—4,901 accused individuals were convicted across 6,728 cases. Through rigorous raids conducted throughout the state over the past year, the Punjab Police have seized assets worth Rs263 crore from 548 traffickers.

The Punjab government, however, is not content to rest on these laurels. The administration firmly believes that to eradicate the drug menace from its very roots, awareness campaigns must be initiated among the youth right from the school and college levels.The issue of drug abuse is frequently politicized, and is often the subject of malicious propaganda. Consequently, the government has taken a further step to ascertain the ground reality and to formulate a future strategy for drug eradication within Punjab.

The Department of Rural Development and Panchayats has been entrusted with this responsibility; by designating nodal officers, the department is tasked with conducting a door-to-door survey across the state to assess the true extent of the drug problem, determine the number of individuals involved, and evaluate the detrimental impact of traffickers. In fact, prior to this announcement, the department had conducted a pilot door-to-door survey—covering both drug usage and socio-economic parameters—across 11 villages.

Since this experiment proved successful, the government has now decided to conduct a comprehensive drug census throughout the entire state, utilizing the assistance of its 28,000 personnel