Report No. 155

3.4. The Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971.-

Thereafter the Convention of Psychotropic Substances, 1971 was adopted to which India is a party and the preamble to said convention provide as under:-

"The parties,

Being concerned with the health and welfare of mankind;

Noting with concern the public health and social problems resulting from the abuse of certain psychotropic substances;

Determined to prevent and combat abuse of such substances and the illicit traffic to which it gives rise;

Considering that rigorous measures are necessary to restrict the use of such substances to legitimate purposes;

Recognising that the use of psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes is indispensable and that their availability for such purposes should not be unduly restricted;

Believing that effective measures against abuse of such substances require co-ordination and universal action;

Acknowledging the competence of the United Nations in the field of control of psychotropic substances and desirous that the international organs concerned should be within the framework of that organization;

Recognising that an international convention is necessary to achieve these purposes;

After providing for special provision regarding the control of preparations psychotropic substances, the convention provide for measures against the abuse of psychotropic substances in Article 20, action against the illicit traffic in Article 21 and the penal provision in Article 22 in the following words:-