India, US agree to work towards broader bilateral Drug Policy Framework

The recent agreement between India and the US to expand their bilateral Drug Policy Framework for the 21st Century. Both nations intend to increase their cooperation and collaboration within this framework to stop the illicit production and international trafficking of illicit drugs.

Following discussions between representatives from the two countries, the Biden administration announced that India and the United States had decided to work towards a more comprehensive and in-depth bilateral Drug Policy Framework for the 21st Century.

Most of our attention over the past few days has been on the three pillars. In an interview with PTI after the end of the fourth annual meeting of the US-India Counternarcotics Working Group (CNWG) here, Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, talked about how the US and India can work together to fight drugs. One is drug control and the work that needs to be done to break up the networks of people who sell and make illegal drugs.

The second is to focus on harm reduction and drug demand reduction. According to Dr. Gupta, who is the first doctor to hold the position, this includes looking at both how we treat addiction in those who already have it as well as how we prevent addiction from developing in the first place.

Director-General of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Satya Narayan Pradhan, served as the delegation’s leader.

The third pillar, in Dr. Gupta’s opinion, is really about making sure that there is a strong pharmaceutical supply chain.

By implementing each of these pillars, we build a framework for the twenty-first century that positions and positions the two countries as world leaders in this field. The two countries must collaborate not only for the benefit of their respective countries but also for the benefit of the entire world, according to Dr. Gupta, because at a time when 100,000 Americans die each year in the United States and when this disease and issue also affect India.

Keep Reading

• Taliban Ends Opium Economy, Successfully Eradicates Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan
• Why does the UK want to end drug testing at festivals when it clearly saves lives?

According to a statement from the White House, the 2-day meeting covered Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s and President Joe Biden shared commitment to a more extensive and detailed bilateral Drug Policy Framework for the twenty-first century.

According to the media statement, both nations intend to increase cooperation and collaboration under this framework to thwart the illicit production and international trafficking of illicit drugs, including synthetic drugs like fentanyl and stimulants similar to amphetamines as well as the illicit use of their precursors.

Dr. Gupta, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, and Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya opened the two-day meeting on Wednesday.

ONDCP Senior Advisor Kemp Chester, Acting Assistant Secretary of State Lisa Johnson for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Hodge served as the US co-leads for the meeting.

The Indian delegation was led by NCB DG Pradhan and comprised the Joint Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Shri Prakash, as well as the Deputy Chief of Mission for the Indian Embassy, Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan.

We are working to uphold the leaders’ commitment to enhancing our bilateral drug policy relationship, which goes beyond counternarcotics to one with a more positive and forward-looking vision. Gupta was quoted in the White House statement as saying, “Together, we will combat addiction through prevention and treatment, stop the illicit drug trade globally, and build safe, prosperous communities for both countries.

The Global Coalition Against Synthetic Drugs, which is made up of more than 80 countries and 11 international organizations, has welcomed India as a member, he claimed.

“We appreciate India’s leadership as well as its status as a global leader, not only in terms of becoming the world’s pharmacy but also in terms of disrupting illicit drug trafficking and production and ensuring that we’re all working together when it comes to diseases like addiction to address it and prevent it,” Dr. Gupta said to PTI.

In response to a query, Dr. Gupta stated that the growth of the illegal chemical industry in China has coincided with the rise in demand for pharmaceutical products coming from outside of China.

We all want to avoid making the same mistake now more than ever because this country is the main producer of the precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl and other illegal synthetic drugs. India has a vested interest in ensuring that diversion control takes place and has a thriving pharmaceutical industry with which it competes. Americans can gain from this because it is clear that India serves as a source of pharmaceuticals for many other nations. However, working with organizations like the FDA, DEA, and others to make sure that there is integrity there is a part of that, he said.

Dr. Gupta referred to the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the US last month as historic and stated that regardless of the various sectors that were discussed and agreed upon, including defense, technology, people-to-people exchanges, and health, we are making significant progress in moving those forward.

I believe that this visit was not only important but will also be remembered as one that was historically significant and marked a real turning point in the cooperation between the two nations, he continued.

Dr. Gupta claimed that the drug epidemic in the US has not spared Indian Americans. Kamala Harris, vice president, recently gathered eight state attorneys general for a roundtable discussion.

I presided over that discussion. The parent of one of the young people who had died from an overdose met with her just before she did that, and he told her that this was dear to her.

She spoke about the public health crisis and the need for Indian Americans and the rest of the population in this country to understand that it doesn’t matter whether you live in a rural or urban area, are rich or poor, brown, black, or white—the crisis doesn’t give a damn. Everyone will be affected. Therefore, having conversations with our children at the dinner table is crucial, especially. We are aware of the early warning signs that something might be wrong, such as when our children’s social behavior or others’ academic performance changes, he said.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that it’s crucial to recognize when adolescents and teens are facing challenges in life, just like the majority of us do, and to offer support, be accessible, and ensure that they can ask for help. In that vein, the Surgeon General (Dr. Vivek Murthy) and I recently published an opinion piece in USA Today that discusses the significance of mental health, addiction, and social isolation among youth and what families can do.