Chandigarh: Admissions to Punjab government de-addiction centres surged by 164% from 9,577 in 2024 to 25,290 in 2025, with over 14,000 more patients admitted by July 2026. Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh termed the rise a positive indicator of growing public willingness to seek formal medical help.Govt rehabilitation centres experienced an even sharper increase, with admissions jumping 224% from 2,644 in 2024 to 8,574 in 2025. By July 2026, these facilities registered over 5,800 additional admissions, reaching nearly 68% of the previous year’s total.The Outpatient Opioid-Assisted Treatment (OOAT) clinic network mirrored this growth. New patient registrations climbed from 13,033 in 2024 to 17,702 in 2025, alongside 12,500 new registrations recorded by August 2026.Concurrently, the state utilised legal provisions to aid recovery. As of Aug 27, 2026, authorities granted legal immunity under Section 64A of the NDPS Act—which protects individuals charged with consumption or possession who seek treatment—to more than 11,000 people.Dr Balbir Singh said, “For Punjab, the sharp increase in admissions is proving to be one of the most encouraging indicators of the initiative: people are increasingly stepping forward, families are seeking institutional support and the state’s treatment network is reaching individuals who may otherwise have remained outside the formal system.”He added, “Yudh Nashean Virudh stands on three pillars: strict enforcement against smugglers, treatment and rehabilitation for the affected, and prevention to protect our children before drugs ever reach them. With treatment and rehabilitation, our effort is to bring people back from addiction, restore families and give those struggling with substance abuse a genuine pathway to recovery.”