Football match marks International Day Against Drug Abuse in city

Amritsar, June 26

The Health Department organised a sports meet at the rehabilitation centre for drug addicts here today to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. A football match was held between teams of patients on the occasion and they were encouraged to indulge in sports and other creative activities.

Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr Gurmeet Kaur released an awareness poster on the occasion. Addressing inmates of the centre, nodal officer Dr Charanjit Kaur said drug addiction was a mental illness.

Drugs had a terrible effect on the human body and many types of diseases like liver, mouth and throat cancer were the result of abuse of substances such as alcohol and tobacco, she said. Drugs caused health problems and raised social, economic and mental issues, she added.

“It’s duty of society to contribute to anti-drug campaign. They should make people around them aware of ill effects of drugs,” she said.

The Civil Surgeon, Dr Sumit Singh, said that a total of 43 OTT Centres were functioning in the district to help drug addicts.