The need for a drug abuse information centre and clearing house in South East Asia

The problems of alcoholism and drug addiction are major concerns in Asia. Alcohol and drugs were used in the past to obtain relief from pain and misery and to attain a state of forgetfulness. Asian countries are presently facing the problem of increased trafficking in drugs; heroin and hashish are supplied to the west through this continent. Addiction has become a major problem in these countries. In most of the Asian countries the Ministry of Welfare is responsible for drug abuse prevention programmes and the rehabilitation of addicts. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is concerned with the drug treatment. Asia has witnessed an exponential growth in the literature on drug abuse. It is no longer possible for a single library to acquire all of the international literature. There is a clear need to establish a Drug Abuse Information Centre and Clearing House for South East Asia. The United Nations Internati onal Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) has felt that the “Worlds media has created a deceptive sense of familiarity with the phenomenon”, while our knowledge on several issues is still very inadequate. Thus there is a need to present an objective picture, raise public awareness, and formulate national policies and programmes to control drug abuse. The paper describes the aims, objectives and planning for such a centre and recommends the establishment of Asian Information Centre and Clearing house in India (New Delhi) with regional centres in various South East Asian countries. The paper also highlights the financial and administrative constraints in these countries. Also suggests the possibility of developing such a centre in phased manner and seeking collaboration from International agencies.