Rohtak: Education Dept to sensitise students about drug menace

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, March 28

Taking a serious view of the rising trend of drug-addiction among youngsters, the Department of Higher Education (DHE) has decided to sensitise students about drug menace by organising various awareness activities in the government and its aided colleges and state universities till the end of this year.

Over 3,750 NDPS cases in 2023

The Haryana Police had registered a total over 3,750 cases across state under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2023 leading to the arrest of over 5,350 persons

Heads of these higher educational institutions (HEIs) have been directed to form an ‘anti-drug awareness cell’ to educate the students about this menace and negative effects of drug use and create a drug-free environment in the HEIs and promote healthy living among them.

“The heads have been directed to carry out drug awareness campaigns on a monthly basis while ensuring minimum strength of 100 students in the programmes. They have also been asked to submit a monthly report to the DHE about the campaigns,” said sources. The Haryana Police had registered a total of over 3,750 cases across the state under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2023 leading to the arrest of over 5,350 persons.

“The rising tendency of drug addiction among youngsters, especially school and college-going students, is not only alarming but disturbing, hence there is an acute need of keeping the youngsters away from it. Though the law enforcement agencies are working to check the menace, awareness is another effective tool which can prove instrumental in protecting the youngsters from it. So the colleges and the universities have been asked to conduct the drug awareness programmes,” said a DHE official.

He said a calendar of activities had also been prepared to help the colleges and universities. As per the calendar, inter/intra college poster and slogan-making competitions on drug awareness would be organised at all HEIs across the state this year.

“An inter/intra college debate/declamation competition over drug awareness will be held in April, one-day seminar and awareness programme on drug abuse prevention and for celebrating World Drug Day in June, inter/intra college powerpoint presentation competition on drug awareness in August, exhibitions of posters and slogan will be held in October to sensitise the students about drug abuse,” the official added.

He said ‘nukkad natak’ and skits would be organised in November to create mass awareness on drugs and its disadvantages while a drug awareness rally would be taken out in December while using posters and slogans for the awareness of the community.

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