BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that India has adopted a zero tolerance policy towards narcotics so that smuggling and trade of drugs are stopped completely.

Mr Shah was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day conference on 'Combating Drug Trafficking' for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries including Bangladesh.

Referring to data compiled by the World Drug Report, the minister said that 5.5 per cent of people in the world between 15-64 years are using drugs.

The money obtained from illegal narcotics trade is used for funding terrorism and other trans-national crimes, Shah said adding that India wants to closely work with BIMSTEC and other countries to wipe out the menace.

The money obtained from illegal narcotics trade is also used for funding terrorism and other trans-national crimes, the home minister noted, adding that it was the need of the hour for all countries to join hands and fight the problem.

Mr Shah said, "We will ensure that no drug can go out of India nor any drug can come to India."

Declaring that India has adopted a zero tolerance policy towards all kind of narcotics, the home minister said the country wants to closely work with BIMSTEC and other countries to wipe out the menace.

The BIMSTEC is a regional organisation comprising seven member states including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, besides India.

Drug use can affect short- and long-term health. Some of these health outcomes can be serious, and possibly irreversible.