Hit or Damp squib? As health dept hails CM’s anti-addiction drive, sceptics share serious concerns with Tribune reporter Aparna Banerji

Dr Swaijit Singh, Medical Officer at the ART Centre in Jalandhar, said, “We are doing all that we can to tend to addicts at the de-addiction and ART centres, but it is true that lack of motivation and counselling is a major factor among many addicts who fail to make it to the centres. Many aren’t even aware of the kind of treatment which could save them. So someone needs to go out there to tell them about the government facilities being run for them, about various schemes and also mobilise them to get to the centres. From that point of view, mobilisation efforts shall certainly benefit the state in countering addiction.”

Dr Sanjay Khanna, psychiatrist at the Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, said, “It’s a very good drive because work shall be started on a war-footing to counter the drug menace in the state. The government’s efforts shall ensure mass mobilisation against addiction in the state which shall go a long way in countering the drug menace. Besides, it would also be very helpful in keeping patients informed about the means to counter addiction and the help available to them at government facilities.”

Mangaljit Singh state press secretary of the Punjab Students Union, said, “On the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, a drive against addiction has been started by the government. It’s just another attempt to use the name of the martyr for mere symbolism. The biggest drug kingpins in the state are sitting out.”

Notably, under the drive DAPOs are of two types OVs and citizen volunteers (CVs) who have been assigned the task of raising awareness against drug abuse, identification of users, high-risk people and vulnerable sections.

The Health Department also has its share of sceptics who said the haphazard way in which the drive had been started was going to translate into little at the ground level.

A senior doctor of the city, said, “The drive is mere symbolism – a counter to the opposition. It has been started without any of the ground work having been done by the government sources. None of the officials have been keeping tabs on the actual state of addiction nor has any database been created. These DAPOs, volunteering for service, have no experience working with addicts, nor is any prior information being provided to them.

What if an addict or peddler volunteers as a DAPO? Only people with the NDPS Act or other cases lodged against them are identified as peddlers, but a lot of them operate in the grey area. If any one of these become a DAPO, it would be like providing them a licence to kill. The government will have to tread very cautiously on that line.”