Drug awareness takes centre stage at Attari-Wagah border

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the central agency responsible for enforcing the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, organised a series of street plays to sensitise the public about the harmful effects of drugs in the district.

The anti-drug awareness campaign concluded on Saturday with a street play staged at the Attari-Wagah border. Alarmed by the high rate of narcotic seizures in the border belt, the NCB launched this campaign to combat drug abuse through social awareness, with the first play staged on Independence Day.

The national agency is focusing on the border region because, under the NDPS Act, Punjab recorded the second highest number of cases last year, after Kerala. Seizures by the Border Security Force (BSF), which manages peacetime security at the International Border, indicate a continuous supply of narcotics across the border. From January 1 to June 30 this year, the BSF seized nearly 135 kg of narcotics, including heroin, opium and ICE. Last year, the BSF confiscated a total of 283 kg of narcotics along Punjab’s border.

On the final day of the campaign, two programmes were held with the support of the BSF —one at Border Outpost (BOP) Fatehpur and another at the Attari-Wagah border. These events aimed to raise awareness about the harmful effects of drugs, the ‘Manas Portal,’ illegal drug trafficking and the 1933 helpline, among other initiatives. The street plays vividly depicted the deadly consequences of drug abuse, the dangers of trafficking and the socio-economic damage associated with drug abuse.

NCB’s Deputy Director General (NWR), Sambit Mishra and Additional Director Shanteshwar Swami urged the audience to spread awareness about the harmful effects of drugs in villages, wards, streets and localities. They called on people to support authorities in taking stringent action against drug traffickers. They added that people should act as guardians of their villages and towns by supporting the government in the treatment and rehabilitation of those affected by drug abuse, helping them reintegrate into society and start anew.

The street play, performed by students of Khalsa College, Amritsar, deeply moved the audience and conveyed the anti-drug message in a clear and impactful manner.

Officials concluded by stressing that the fight against drugs is not the sole responsibility of any single institution or government department, but a collective responsibility of every citizen. They appealed to people to carry the anti-drug message into every household and help secure a drug-free future for the next generation.

Narcotic substance abuse has become a serious global problem and India is no exception. The drug menace not only harms health but also destroys families and weakens communities.