PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 26

The extent of drug abuse in Punjab can be gauged from the fact that even minor children have been involved in drug-trafficking in the border state. This was revealed by a drug abuse victim who quit his addiction and now works as a counsellor to wean away youth from the deadly menace.

Though police officials admitted that the problem is there, but they added that it was not to the extent it is highlighted in the media and by certain political parties.

The drug abuse victim was speaking during a programme organised by the city police to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Police Commissioner SS Srivastav presided over the programme while senior police officials including Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Amrik Singh Pawar and DCP (investigations) Jagmohan Singh were also present.

Several youths, who won the battle against substance abuse, stressed on the role of family members and society in eradication of this problem from its roots. One of them urged the dignitaries to take up the issue with the Punjab Government to ban the songs that eulogise and encourage alcoholism besides use of arms and ammunition and take action against the singers who sang such songs.

“The youth drift away and start indulging in such practices after listening to such songs which glamourise alcoholism and use of arms as a mark of machoism,” they pointed out.

Dr Jaswinder Gandhi, a medical officer in Government Medical College here who worked extensively in the field of weaning away youths from drugs, said the government should issue a notification in this connection while ordering that an FIR be registered in a case in which a singer indulges in such a practice. He also gave the idea of ‘evidence-based practice’ to curb substance abuse. Under this, a drug abuser was given a chance of treatment and counselling to come out of this habit rather than putting him behind bars and turn him into a bigger criminal.

The Police Commissioner while speaking on the occasion said the police was taking drug abuse very seriously. He said the police was looking into shattering the drug supply line and persistent and serious efforts were needed to control the demand of the drugs in order to make Punjab a drug-free state.

He also urged the people to share information about those involved in drug trafficking so that stern action could be taken against such elements. He also urged the NGOs, the religious and social organisations to join hands in this war.