Camp underscores need to check drug abuse among youth

The Red Cross Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts organised a drug awareness camp at Sanawa village in Nawanshahr under the “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan” initiative, highlighting the urgent need to combat substance abuse among Punjab’s youth.

The event was jointly chaired by Krishna Lal and Gurpal Singh (panch). Addressing the gathering, project director Chaman Singh emphasised the alarming rise of drug addiction, particularly among youngsters, in Punjab. He said the high prevalence of heroin and intravenous drug use leads to severe societal consequences, including lost productivity, the rising crime graph and strained healthcare resources.

Despite these challenges, he acknowledged the commendable efforts of various organisations working to rehabilitate affected individuals. “Success is the total sum of small efforts repeated again and again,” he remarked, underscoring the importance of persistent action.

The event saw the participation of counsellor Kamaljeet Kaur (IRCA, Nawanshahr), Jaswinder Kaur (sarpanch), Kulwinder Kaur (panch), Bindra Rani, Sarabjit Kaur (anganwadi worker), Balveer Kumar, Surinder Pal and several other villagers who pledged their support for the anti-drug campaign.