Drugs destroy youth, families, sports culture viable mitigation strategy: Governor

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla presided over a symposium on ‘Drug Menace and Sports Culture as a Mitigation Strategy’ organised by the Shyamla Education and Social Welfare Trust at the Gaiety Theatre here today. He said that intensive coordination between various departments was necessary to deal with this serious problem.

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The Governor said that drug addiction was destroying the talent of the youth and isolating them from the mainstream of society. “Drug addiction destroys the abilities of a person, breaks families and weakens society. Everyday, children are losing their lives due to drug abuse,” he added.

He said, “Drugs not only affect the person but also have a negative impact on his family, society and future generations. When a person falls prey to drugs, its effect is not limited to him only, but the entire family is affected mentally, economically and socially. The crime rate increases, health services are burdened and the productivity of society decreases.”

The Governor said that this fight was not just the responsibility of one person, but a shared responsibility of all of us. “Parents, teachers, police administration, Health Department and every citizen have to be part of this campaign. We need a collective resolve and strong willpower to eradicate this problem from its roots,” he added,

He said, “Community participation in the campaign against drugs can be ensured by reaching out to schools, colleges and university campuses with special focus on the youth.” He added that in an educated and developed area like Himachal, where the youth power had always been moving towards innovation, sports and nation-building, there should be no place for evils like drug addiction.

The Governor said that a public awareness movement had been launched in Arki and Nalagarh of Solan district and Hamirpur against drug abuse and to promote sports among the youth, which was a great success. He added, “By implementing sports culture as a mitigation strategy, we can reduce the likelihood of drug abuse among young people, promote healthy lifestyles and behaviour, foster social connections and community engagement, provide positive role models and mentors, support mental health and well-being.”

The Governor also released the report of a survey conducted by the trust in Shimla on the drug menace and sports culture as a mitigation strategy. The Governor honoured nine persons in recognition of their distinguished contribution towards creating awareness about drug abuse.