Addiction is an increasing problem in India. Substance use has become common in every other household. Around 16 crore people consume alcohol, more than 3 crore use cannabis, and around 1.8 crore use opioids. Behind each of those numbers is a person and a family struggling to cope. 

It was in this context that the government launched the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA) in 2020. It is a nationwide initiative to confront substance use by spreading awareness, community participation, and rehabilitation. 

Five years later, the campaign has reached many people. But scale and success aren’t the same thing. This blog looks at what NMBA is, what it has accomplished so far, and where it still needs improvement. 

What is Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan

The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) is the government’s flagship campaign against substance abuse. It falls under the broader National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR). It was launched on 15th August 2020 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It works on three pillars: 

• Prevention
• Treatment 
• Rehabilitation

It first started with 272 vulnerable districts and slowly spread to all districts around August 2023. It has a special focus on higher educational institutions, universities, and schools. 

There is a three-part model consisting of: 

• Supply control led by the Narcotics Control Bureau
• Demand reduction and awareness driven by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
• Treatment delivered through the health system

At the ground level, this translates into support structures including Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts (IRCAs) that offer inpatient treatment, Outreach and Drop-In-Centres (ODICSs), and Community Peer-Led Interventions (CPLIs) for prevention. Each district has its own Nasha Mukt Committee, headed by the district collector. 

Backing all of this are accessible tools: a toll-free helpline (14446), an NMBA mobile app with an e-pledge feature, Navchetna teacher-training modules for schools, and a growing network of volunteers called Nasha Mukti Mitrs. Most recently, the campaign was reframed as a youth-led movement with the 100-week ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyaan’, launched on 2 August 2026. 

Impact of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan so far

As of mid-2026, the campaign reports reaching and sensitising more than 29.05 crore people, including over 11.05 crore youth and 7.81 crore women, through awareness and outreach activities across the country. Much of the momentum comes from 1.17 volunteers who have registered as Nasha Mukti Mitrs. They are spreading the anti-drug message to schools and colleges. Around 17 lakh educational institutions have participated. 

On the treatment side, over 27.76 lakh individuals have received treatment. Supported by 730-plus free centers and more than 10,000 trained volunteers. 

A National Survey to assess the extent and pattern of substance use is being carried out by AIIM’s National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre. The results are expected in 2027. 

What still needs to change

A major gap here is that awareness and recovery aren’t the same thing. The campaign’s impressive outreach figures largely reflect awareness efforts rather than measurable reductions in addiction levels. 

Another problem is the lack of proper infrastructure. There is a shortage of equipped de-addiction and rehabilitation centres working on an evidence-based approach. Especially at district and tehsil levels. 

Not all districts have a fully functional de-addiction centre, and some that exist lack basic facilities. The quality of the centres varies largely, with some lacking psychiatrists and trained psychologists. These centers often struggle with funding, so the standards aren’t uniform across facilities. 

Recovery is a lifelong process and does not end at discharge. Relapse prevention is equally important and requires long-term follow-up. Without that continuity of care, people who complete treatment can quietly slip back into old patterns.

There’s also stigma that keeps people from seeking help in the first place. People view addiction as a moral failing or purely as a law-and-order problem and not as a disease. This keeps people suffering and trapped in addiction. 

Genuine progress required reducing state dependence on alcohol revenue and resolving the conflict between public-health goals and economic interests. A government that earns significantly from liquor sales is, in effect, working against its own de-addiction targets. 

Conclusion

Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has opened up conversations about addiction by reaching crores of people through a volunteer network. It has started to steer the conversation away from shame and silence towards openness and support. The harder work lies in building real treatment capacity, training more counsellors and psychiatrists, and strengthening follow-up care. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available. You can check out rehabs and de-addiction centers across India on rehabs.in.