# Half of Indian prison inmates have substance abuse history 2026-08-09T14:03:42+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A new study in the Indian Journal of Medical Research finds that 51 per cent of inmates across Indian prisons reported a history of substance abuse. Among alcohol users, nearly 32 per cent were drinking daily in the month before arrest. The survey also found 11 per cent of cannabis users and 7.2 per cent of opioid users were consuming substances daily before imprisonment. The Deccan Herald reports that the data covers respondents from multiple states and was collected through interviews and medical records. ## Coverage - deccanherald.com Tags: addiction, de-addiction centres, Home Ministry, IJMR survey, prison reforms, substance abuse Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/half-of-indian-prison-inmates-have-substance-abuse-history/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/half-of-indian-prison-inmates-have-substance-abuse-history/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.