Volunteers vow to fight drug menace

Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, June 25

To win the war against drug abuse and illicit trafficking of drugs, a total of 29,021 volunteers have joined hands with the administration. The administration says the Drug Abuse Prevention Officer (DAPO) programme has proven to be a huge hit in curbing drug menace in the district.

Giving details, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said as many as 2,442 Nasha Roko Nigran Committees were already proving instrumental in wiping out drug abuse from the district at the grass-root level.

A man (22) from Basti Jodhewal, sharing his journey of deaddiction, said everyone around him thought he would not survive long due to a fatal disease acquired from drug abuse menace.

“Thanks to outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centre, I have not only shunned drugs but become an earning hand for my aged parents,” he said.

Another man, residing in Islamganj, has been addicted to cannabis for the past 15 years. Owing to his addiction, his mother had to earn livelihood for the family by cooking mid-day meal in a local school.

After OOAT centres were opened, his family took him to the local centre, where he was put on regular treatment. Now, he has been cured of his addiction and has been helping his family financially.

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