De-addiction centres to come up at subdivision level in Karnal

Tribune News Service

Karnal, September 14

Aiming at bringing drug addicts into the mainstream of society, drug de-addiction centres will be set up at sub-division and Community Health Centre level having the capacity of five to 10 beds. The treatment and counselling of the drug addicts will be done free of cost. This was the outcome of the district-level seminar on drug de-addiction at Dr Mangal Sen auditorium in the city on Tuesday.

At present, the district has four de-addiction centres and one of them is at government hospital, while three are private. “We have decided to develop more de-addiction centres to ensure free treatment to drug addicts,” said Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, while addressing the gathering during the programme.

Ten worse-affected villages will be identified in the district, where intensive door-to-door awareness campaign will be launched, he added.

Karnal is among 272 districts in the country and 10 in the state where the number of drug addicts is high. “We will make all-out efforts to eradicate drug addiction from the district, for which we are going to take several steps,” the DC said.

Accompanied by SP Ganga Ram Punia, and other officials of the district, Yadav said they would start a drug control cell (DCC) in 175 senior secondary and higher secondary schools of the district, wherein the teacher, student and principal will be the member who will identify the drug addict students. “We will conduct their counselling to free them of this menace,” said the DC, adding that in coming days parents will be involved in the cell.

The sale of tobacco produce will be banned in the radius of 100 meters of the educational institute.

Volunteers from the NCC, and Nehru Yuva Kendra will be roped in to help drug addict student with their counselling. The volunteers will be given experience certificates for social service, he added.

“We will also get information about the source of drugs from students,” he said.

Over the counter sale of some medicines will be prohibited and the Drug Control Officer has been directed to check it, the DC said.

He maintained that similar seminar would be organised every month with different stakeholders.

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