With drugs emerging as one of the biggest political flashpoints in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, fresh government data shows a sharp increase in the number of people seeking treatment at state-run de-addiction and rehabilitation centres.
The government, however, is presenting the rise in treatment numbers differently: as evidence that more people affected by drug dependence, and their families, are coming forward to seek institutional help. The numbers, however, cannot by themselves establish whether drug dependence has increased or decreased in Punjab. Higher admissions can also reflect greater awareness, improved access to treatment, increased capacity, or more people being willing to seek help. The rehabilitation network has recorded an even steeper rise. The expansion is also visible in Punjab’s Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) network. Taken together, the figures point to a substantial increase in the number of people entering Punjab’s government-run treatment system. Whether that represents a rise in the underlying scale of substance dependence, however, is a different question. For the government, the numbers provide evidence that its treatment and rehabilitation infrastructure is reaching more people. For the opposition, the continued demand for treatment can also be cited as evidence that the drug crisis remains deeply entrenched. The figures come at a politically sensitive time for Punjab, where the drug crisis is increasingly becoming a key electoral issue. The Mann government has positioned its anti-drug campaign around enforcement, treatment and prevention. Opposition parties continue to question whether the state has been able to contain the availability and supply of drugs on the ground. The state has also invoked Section 64A of the NDPS Act, which provides legal protection in specified circumstances to drug-dependent persons who voluntarily seek treatment. “For Punjab, this sharp increase in the number of patients seeking treatment is one of the most encouraging outcomes of this initiative. The latest figures give the Mann government a set of numbers with which to argue that more people are entering the treatment system and that families are increasingly willing to seek help. But the same figures also underline the scale of the demand for treatment. For the government, that demand is evidence of a treatment network reaching more people. For its opponents, it is a reminder that Punjab’s drug problem remains far from resolved.
Because of social stigma, the government argues that the trend reflects growing confidence in the state’s treatment infrastructure and a greater willingness among families to seek help rather than keep addiction hidden. Admissions at government de-addiction centres rose from 9,577 in 2024 to 25,290 in 2025, an increase of around 164 per cent. More than 14,000 people had already been admitted by July 2026, indicating that the higher levels of treatment uptake have continued this year. The sharp increase in admissions has largely come after the launch of the anti-drug campaign in March 2025. Admissions increased from 2,644 in 2024 to 8,574 in 2025, a jump of around 224 per cent. Read: PM Modi To Teachers: Raise Drug Awareness, Help Students Reduce Screen Time By July 2026, more than 5,800 people had already been admitted to government rehabilitation centres, equivalent to nearly 68 per cent of the total admissions recorded during all of 2025. New registrations increased from 13,033 in 2024 to 17,702 in 2025, while more than 12,500 new patients had registered by August 2026. As of August 27, more than 11,000 individuals had been protected under the provision. The political battle over drugs is likely to intensify as Punjab moves closer to the 2027 Assembly elections.
The rise assumes political significance as the Bhagwant Mann government’s “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh” campaign has become a key part of its governance narrative, while opposition parties have repeatedly targeted the AAP government over the persistence of drug abuse and the availability of narcotics in the state. The government says the latest treatment figures should be viewed as part of a broader response, with de-addiction centres, rehabilitation facilities and outpatient treatment providing multiple avenues for people battling substance dependence. Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said the increase in treatment-seeking was an encouraging sign. People are increasingly coming forward, families are seeking institutional support and the state’s treatment network is reaching even those who are unable to approach the centres themselves,” he said. He said the “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh” campaign was based on three pillars: action against drug traffickers, treatment and rehabilitation for those affected, and prevention. “Through treatment and rehabilitation, our effort is to help victims break free from addiction, rebuild families and provide people battling substance abuse with a positive path towards a healthier and better life,” he said.
The data, in itself, settles neither argument. What it does show is that the number of people entering the government treatment system has risen sharply since 2024, making treatment uptake another important metric in the political battle over Punjab’s drug crisis.
