Overview
- Punjab’s government data show admissions to state de‑addiction centres jumped from 9,577 in 2024 to 25,290 in 2025, a rise of about 164 percent, and rehabilitation centre admissions rose from 2,644 to 8,574 over the same period.
- The upward trend continued into 2026 with more than 14,000 people admitted to de‑addiction centres by July and over 12,500 new OOAT clinic registrations recorded by August.
- The state reports that more than 11,000 individuals had been granted conditional immunity under Section 64A of the NDPS Act as of August 27, 2026, a measure that offers limited legal protection to eligible people who seek and complete treatment for drug dependence.
- Health minister Dr Balbir Singh credited the Yudh Nashean Virudh campaign, launched in March 2025, for widening outreach and reducing stigma so families are more likely to bring relatives into care.
- If sustained, higher uptake of inpatient, residential and outpatient treatment could widen recovery pathways and reduce hidden drug use in communities, but these figures are government reports of access not independent measures of long‑term outcomes.