There are about 25 lakh drug addicts in India and drug abuse will be one of the leading cause of sickness in the country by 2002, a Drug Demand Reduction report of United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) says. The total number of opiate abusers among urban men between 16-60 years is estimated to be around five lakh in addition to significant cannabis abusers in the country. The report warned that the number of injecting-drug users in the region had also increased which pose serious challenges for aids and hepatitis control as they share the needles which are not being sterilised. Bureau Report