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

Washington, July 21

India and the United States on Thursday agreed to work towards a broader and deeper bilateral Drug Policy Framework for the 21st Century, the Biden administration said after talks between officials from the two countries.

“What we’ve really worked on over the last couple of days is the three pillars. One is the counter-narcotics and the work to do to disrupt the networks of traffickers and producers of illicit drugs,” Dr Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, told PTI in an interview after the conclusion of the fourth annual meeting of the US-India Counternarcotics Working Group (CNWG) here.

“The second one is to work on drug demand reduction and harm-reduction. That includes looking at not only how we help people who are suffering from addiction but prevent addiction in the first place, and at the same time work on things like workforce shortages,” said Dr Gupta who is the first physician to serve in the role. The India delegation was led by Director-General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Satya Narayan Pradhan.

According to Dr Gupta, the third pillar really is ensuring that there is a pharmaceutical supply chain and then thriving pharmaceutical industry.

“When we do all of these pillars, it creates the framework for the 21st century between the two countries that poses and postures the two nations as global leaders in this area. It is really important because at a time when both in the United States, where 100,000 Americans are perishing a year, but also this disease and this issue is not something that has not affected India either, it important that the two countries work not only for the betterment of both nations, but also for the global benefit,” Dr Gupta said.

During the two-day meeting, according to a White House statement, the delegations discussed President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s joint commitment to work toward a broader and deeper bilateral Drug Policy Framework for the 21st century.

Under this framework, both countries plan to expand cooperation and collaboration to disrupt the illicit production and international trafficking of illicit drugs, including synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl and amphetamine-type stimulants and illicit use of their precursors, the media statement said.