International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2025

• 26 Jun 2025

Source: IE

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) organized a national event On 26th June 2025, to commemorate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (World Drug Day).

• About: It was declared by the UN General Assembly in 1987 to promote global cooperation for a drug-free world. 
  • The 2025 theme, “Break the Cycle. #StopOrganizedCrime,” calls for long-term, targeted action against organized drug networks.
• Drug Abuse: According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 292 million people used drugs globally in 2022, marking a 20% increase over the past decade and highlighting growing global concern.
  • UNODC, established in 1997, tackles drug control, crime, and international terrorism, and releases the World Drug Report annually on 26th June.
• Drug Affected Regions: Triple Frontier area (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay), Golden Crescent (Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan)  and Golden Triangle (Laos, Myanmar and Thailand).

• Common Drugs: Cannabis, followed by opioids, amphetamines, cocaine, and ecstasy, are among the most commonly used drugs.
  • Cannabis is legal in Canada, Uruguay, and 27 US jurisdictions. Its psychoactive effects are mainly due to THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).
• India's Drug Control: MoSJE is the nodal agency for drug demand reduction, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, and nationwide awareness campaigns.
  • Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) is India’s flagship anti-drug campaign, active in all districts that features via the NMBA App for real-time tracking of Abhiyaan activities.
  • NIDAAN and NCORD Portals are digital platforms that store comprehensive databases of drug offenders.

Read More: Rising Drug Abuse Among Youth