Ambitious initiative towards a drug-free India Tue, Feb 23 2021 19:21 IST | 0 Views Drugs. . Image Source: IANS News Every year, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is observed as National Anti-Drug Addiction Day to honour his commitment towards eradicating the menace of drug and substance abuse. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also time and again highlighted the perils of substance abuse and stated that it is a dangerous disease which traps a person into a never-ending vicious cycle. Unfortunately, this menace is on the rise as is evident from the findings of National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use. Even after 73 years of independence, we frequently come across news reports of young college students getting addicted to drugs or police nabbing drug peddlers near schools. It is seen that addiction typically starts with alcohol, moves towards nicotine and 'ganja' and then graduates to hard substances like cocaine, MDME etc. The situation is grave and demands immediate attention.