MPs will have to run a movement in their areas for de-addiction: Lok Sabha Speaker

New Delhi. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed to the members to run a movement in their areas for de-addiction and said that the problem of drugs has to be ended. Birla said in the Question Hour in the House, “All the members should run a big movement in their areas for de-addiction. This will be possible only through social movement and the problem of drug addiction has to be ended.” He said this when the members were asking supplementary questions related to coastal security and illegal drug smuggling. Responding to supplementary questions, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that such a large quantity of illegal drugs is being seized in this government because surveillance has also increased. The Union Minister said that the seizure of drugs has increased between 2014 and 2024. He said that a decade ago 257 kg of drugs were caught being smuggled and this year this figure has gone up to 12,617 kg. He said that similarly, the seizure of other banned items has also increased by about 500 times from 7,000 kg to about 4.15 lakh kg in a decade. Rai said that the seizure of such a large quantity in an effort to stop drug smuggling means that the conspiracy of smuggling inside India is being stopped. He said, “Earlier the seizures were less because such a mechanism was not in place.