89 per cent drug addicts in state literate, says doc

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 5

As many as 200 MBBS students of Government Medical College were sensitised against drug abuse in a seminar under the Tandrust Punjab Mission organised by NSS (National Service Scheme) unit of the medical college. 

“Drug abuse in fact now has been labeled as a ‘brain disease’ by medical experts and it is really difficult for the chronic users to come out and more difficult to treat them due to relapsing episodes,” said Dr BS Sidhu, Head of the Psychiatry Department and Principal Government Medical College. 

He advised the students to be aware of the peer pressure and curiosity, the two most common reasons leading why people fall prey to drugs. 

Dr DS Bhullar, programme officer NSS Medical College unit said in a study in 10 districts commissioned by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of Government of India in 2015, the total number of drug users in Punjab was 2, 32,856 with 89 per cent drug addicts educated and literate. The most commonly abused drug was heroin (chitta) with 53 per cent users.

“Drug abuse leads to physical, mental and moral deterioration of the drug abuser and the medical students should come forward to sensitise and teach masses to say no to drugs and make the state free from drug abuse,” said Bhullar.