India prison study finds 6% inmates still using drugs behind bars

India's largest prison substance use study found widespread lifetime alcohol, cannabis and opioid use, with 5.9% reporting use during incarceration. The findings point to gaps in screening, withdrawal management and evidence-based addiction treatment in prisons.India's largest study on substance use among people in prisons has found that more than half of incarcerated individuals had consumed alcohol during their lifetime, while nearly one in five had used cannabis and over one in 10 had used opioids.Strikingly, the research also found that 5.9% of prisoners continued using psychoactive substances even while in prison, underscoring persistent gaps in addiction treatment and prison health systems.The multi-centric study, published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, surveyed 7,004 incarcerated people across 17 prisons in nine states, making it the largest evidence base on substance use in Indian prisons to date.Researchers say the findings provide rare national-level data from a population that has remained largely understudied despite the country's sizeable prison population. The study found that 51% of participants had used alcohol during their lifetime, 20% had used cannabis and 11% had used opioids. Among those with a history of substance use, many reported frequent consumption before incarceration.Nearly 21% of alcohol users, 30% of cannabis users, and 45% of opioid users had been using these substances daily in the month before entering prison. The researchers also found that cannabis was the most commonly used substance inside prisons, with 3.9% of participants reporting its use during their current incarceration.Lead author Dr Ravindra Rao, professor at the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, told India Today the findings highlight a critical gap in prison healthcare.This large, multi-centric study is rare Indian evidence on substance use among 7,000 people across 17 prisons in nine states. High rates of lifetime alcohol and drug use were reported by the prisoners, and close to 6% reported substance use within prisons, he said.“The findings highlight the urgent need for systematic screening, withdrawal management and evidence-based addiction treatment within prisons that is currently lacking in India,” Dr Rao added.PERSISTENT TREATMENT GAPThe findings are significant because they show that imprisonment alone does not necessarily interrupt substance use. Instead, the continued availability and use of psychoactive substances within prisons point to unmet treatment needs and inadequate systems for identifying and managing addiction.Researchers noted that individuals who experienced withdrawal symptoms inside prison were significantly more likely to continue using substances during incarceration.Withdrawal from alcohol, cannabis and opioids was each independently associated with higher odds of substance use behind bars, suggesting that untreated dependence may drive continued consumption.The study also identified younger prisoners, those with multiple previous incarcerations and those who had used cannabis before imprisonment as being at greater risk of substance use during their current incarceration.Prior cannabis users, in particular, had more than five times higher odds of using psychoactive substances in prison than those without such a history.The authors argue that these findings can help prison authorities identify individuals who may benefit from early intervention, closer monitoring and evidence-based addiction treatment.POLICY IMPLICATIONSThe research comes against the backdrop of limited data on substance-use disorders in prisons across low- and middle-income countries. Although India houses a large prison population, comprehensive studies examining patterns of substance use among incarcerated people have remained scarce.Another notable finding was that 77% of participants were first-time prisoners, while 65% were undertrial prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing, indicating that many individuals entering prisons may already have significant unmet healthcare needs before conviction.The researchers say routine screening for substance use at the time of prison admission, timely management of withdrawal symptoms and access to scientifically proven treatment services could substantially improve both prisoner health and prison safety.Evidence-based treatment, they argue, may also reduce the likelihood of relapse, improve rehabilitation outcomes and potentially lower rates of repeat offending after release.- EndsPublished On: Aug 7, 2026 14:05 IST