Topic: Escalating Violence in the International Drug Trade
Country: India
Delegate Name: Jennifer Larson
School: Royal Oak High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All India position papers GLIMUN 2010 committees
The increase in wealth in India also means there is more money to spend on illicit substances. Although the percentage of people in India who use drugs is still fairly low, it is increasing at an alarming rate. There are many legal prescription drugs and mild “Desi” drugs of which many Hindu Sadhus have been using for ages as part of their meditation; however, drugs have started to enter the elite tier of society, which has become increasingly prosperous due to the improving economy in India. This is particularly devastating because the wealthy are key to the continued economic growth of India. The increased use of drugs also leads to an increased crime rate, road accidents, and deaths.
India has defined addiction to drugs as a psychosocial medical problem, which is best dealt with community based interventions. Towards this objective, India has implemented the Scheme for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substances Abuse. It funds non-governmental organizations to generate awareness, motivate addicts for treatment and ensure their socioeconomic rehabilitation through long-term community-based programs.
India is located between the Golden Crescent (Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan) and the Golden Triangle (Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam), the main areas of opium production in Asia. India recognizes this and has taken action against illicit trafficking and use of such substances. India is a party of the Single Convention of Narcotic Drugs, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. An Indo-Pakistani committee was established in 1986 to prevent trafficking in narcotic drugs. India signed a convention with the United Arab Emirates in 1994 to control drug trafficking. India also signed an agreement with Egypt in 1995 for investigation of drug cases and exchange of information and a Memorandum of Understanding of the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Drugs with Iran.
