SJ&E ministry to launch campaign to eliminate drug addiction in 272 vulnerable districts

Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot addressed a gathering of 272 district collectors, 31 state secretaries, more than 500 NGOs and officers of Narcotics Control Bureau, doctors and professionals of National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, on the launch of "Nasha Mukt Bharat" campaign, an official statement said. The state governments and the 272 district collectors are going to launch the campaign on August 15 and it will run for seven months till March 31, 2021, the statement said.

A campaign to eliminate drug addiction and substance abuse will be launched on Saturday in 272 most vulnerable districts of the country, the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry said. Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot addressed a gathering of 272 district collectors, 31 state secretaries, more than 500 NGOs and officers of Narcotics Control Bureau, doctors and professionals of National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, on the launch of "Nasha Mukt Bharat" campaign, an official statement said.

The state governments and the 272 district collectors are going to launch the campaign on August 15 and it will run for seven months till March 31, 2021, the statement said. The district and state level Nasha Mukt Bharat Committees will be formed which will devise a strategy and action plan for the campaign, it said. "These committees would ensure that campaign activities are effectively implemented, and the objectives of the campaign are met. These 272 districts have been identified based on the inputs received from the Narcotics Control Bureau and the findings on the comprehensive national survey done by the ministry," the statement added.

Gehlot said that the government is committed to Nasha Mukht Bharat and the financial allocation of Rs 43 crore in 2017 has been enhanced to Rs 260 crore in 2020. "This five-fold enhancement shows that the government attaches great importance to this campaign," he was quoted as saying in the statement. The ministry said the campaign focuses on 272 most affected districts by launching a three-pronged attack, combining efforts of the narcotics bureau, outreach and awareness by social justice and treatment through the Health Department. The campaign plan has the following components -- awareness generation programmes, focus on higher educational institutions, university campuses and schools, community outreach and identification of dependent population, focus on treatment facilities in hospital settings and capacity building programmes for service providers, the statement said.

Stressing that substance abuse is emerging as a matter of concern, having adverse consequences not just for the person using drugs, but on the family and society at large, the ministry said prevention has proven to be the most effective strategy to counter this problem.  PTI UZM AAR.