BENGALURU: In 2023, the newest yr for which knowledge is obtainable, no less than 12 folks died each week in India on common on account of drug overdose, NCRB knowledge reveals. That’s almost two deaths every day. Between 2019 and 2023, 3,290 deaths had been attributed to the identical trigger, with the typical for the five-year interval remaining roughly the identical as in 2023.What makes this knowledge significantly sobering is what it would not seize. These figures characterize solely confirmed drug overdose deaths – they do not account for unreported circumstances and deaths misattributed to different causes. Additionally, NCRB would not specify if the overdose concerned a narcotic substance or prescribed drugs.Psychiatrists, clinicians and retired cops TOI spoke to mentioned there must be extra readability within the classification of drug overdose circumstances. They identified that in lots of of those circumstances, there may have been an overuse of prescribed drugs corresponding to sleeping capsules or painkillers.The figures inform a narrative of volatility somewhat than regular decline. After recording 704 deaths in 2019, the nation noticed a pointy drop to 514 deaths in 2020, seemingly influenced by Covid-induced lockdowns. The variety of deaths surged to 737 in 2021 – the very best within the five-year interval – earlier than moderating to 681 in 2022, and 654 in 2023.Tamil Nadu dominated the statistics within the early years of this era. In 2019, it recorded 108 deaths, the very best within the nation. The determine tapered to 110 in 2020, earlier than spiking to 250 deaths in 2021. Since then, nonetheless, the state has seen a outstanding reversal. Deaths dropped to simply 50 in 2022 and rose marginally to the touch 65 in 2023.Punjab, sharing a porous border with Pakistan that has lengthy been a conduit for drug trafficking, has maintained a persistently excessive place within the rankings. Whereas it did not characteristic among the many high 5 states in 2019, it recorded 34 deaths in 2020. The figures greater than doubled to 78 in 2021, earlier than touching 144 in 2022 – making it the state with the utmost overdose deaths that yr. In 2023, although deaths fell to 89, it nonetheless topped the nationwide listing.Rajasthan has proven a troubling consistency when it comes to deaths. Beginning with 60 deaths in 2019, the state’s toll climbed to 92 in 2020. It reached 113 in 2021 and rose to 117 in 2022. Whereas the deaths declined barely to 84 in 2023, Rajasthan has remained within the high 5 yearly, occupying second or third positions all through the interval.Madhya Pradesh wasn’t among the many high 5 in 2019 or 2020 however emerged within the listing with 34 deaths in 2021. This determine was 74 in 2022 and rose once more to 85 in 2023, making it the second-highest state in the latest yr.Mizoram and Manipur have appeared intermittently within the high 5. Mizoram noticed 30 deaths in 2020 and 61 in 2022, whereas Manipur noticed 36 deaths in 2021. Karnataka was in high 5 in 2019, with 67 deaths, and in 2020, with 36.