Awareness drive launched to curb drug abuse

Our Correspondent

Phagwara, June 14

The Phagwara Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Jai Inder Singh and Superintendent of the Police (SP) Mandeep Singh launched an awareness drive to sensitise people against the drug abuse and encourage them to share information about the drug peddlers in their respective areas.

A joint programme of Drugs Abuse Preventive Officers (DAPOs) was organised in Phagwara. Earlier the training was imparted by master trainers on June 12, said SDM Jai Inder Singh.

The SDM and SP said: “The programme has already been initiated on the social media platform to spread the message to fight against the drug abuse.”

The SDM said: “The campaign shall serve the dual purposes. It shall make the people aware about the harmful effects of the drugs, besides help us tighten the noose around the drug smugglers.”

“We shall rope in the drug abuse prevention officers (DAPOs) as well as common people in the campaign. Any individual, having any information about drug suppliers can share the same on the given contact numbers.”

Both SDM and SP said: “The police shall not only pass on the information to the police station concerned but also keep a track on the action initiated on it. The police shall maintain the record of the information shared by the DAPOs as well as common people.”

They said the state government had recently kicked off the DAPO programme, under which thousands of volunteers were enrolled in each district. The police-public meetings were being organised in Phagwara and several surrounding villages falling in Phagwara subdivision.

“These meetings are being addressed by the SDM; the SP; SP (Investigation) Manpreet Singh Dhillon; DSP Manjit Singh and SHOs of all police stations of Phagwara subdivision,” they added.