In its fight against the menace of drug abuse, Punjab Government on Thursday held a meeting with the Vice-Chancellors of all Government and private universities across the State and their representatives to take their views, suggestions and inputs on curbing the menace of drug abuse.
The move was aimed at prevention of drug abuse, especially among the youth and university students through consistent and innovative methods of awareness and education.
The meeting was chaired by the State Additional Chief Secretary (Department of Higher Education) SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Anjali Bhawra, Secretary (Home) Rahul Tiwari, Additional Director General Police (ADGP) Special Task Force Harpreet Singh Sidhu, IGP (STF) B Chander Sekhar, IGP (STF) RK Jaiswal and other senior officers of the State Government.
Sandhu said that the Government is committed to wipe out the menace of drug abuse and multi-pronged strategy has been adopted to accomplish the task.
Already, a Special Task Force (anti-drugs) has been constituted, which is stringently enforcing the law and nabbing the violators, and on the other hand, the government is providing effective de-addiction and rehabilitation services for the people affected to drug abuse.
He added that the government is proactively working towards forming strategies to prevent the youngsters falling in trap of drug abuse.
“This university programme has been evolved since it was felt that there was a need to educate, aware and involve the youth effectively in the prevention of drug-abuse campaign,” he said.
Sandhu stressed that drug abuse is mainly a social issue and, therefore, required joint efforts by different sections of the society. He asked the universities to identify resource persons with whom the Government can interact for implementing this programme.
He also urged the universities to self-own this programme as they were key stakeholders. Besides, he also urged the Chancellors or Vice-Chancellors to themselves review the programme at their level too.
Bhawra elaborated numerous efforts made by the Health and Family Welfare Department for prevention and treatment of drug abusers. She informed that de-addiction and rehabilitation facilities are available in all the districts of the state under the supervision of trained staff including Psychiatrists.
Similarly, various awareness activities have been initiated by the Department to sensitize and educate the people about the ill-effects of drug abuse, she said.
Bhawra explained about the new OOAT (Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment) strategy adopted recently by the government in its hospitals. “A special focus is being laid upon sensitisation and education of adolescents, which is considered to be vulnerable group for such abuse,” she added. STF head ADGP Sidhu shared with the VC the details of ‘Buddy Programme’, specially devised by experts of STF in consultation with eminent Psychiatrists.
“As per studies, children in adolescent age group as well as in the age group of 18-25 years reel under great peer pressure. This age group are vulnerable groups...Buddy programme has been specially designed with focus on students, as part of which a group of five students of same section or batch is formed, who monitor, motivate and hold moral responsibility for each other and encourage mutual safety and empowerment,” he elaborated. He added that a “Buddy” discusses harmful effects of drugs from time to time and also identifies signs of drug use among peer group and encourages not indulging in drug abuse. Sidhu stressed about KABP (knowledge, attitude, belief and practice) strategy to curb the ill menace of drugs.
Exhorting the need to take drive against drug abuse to the state’s each gali and mohalla, Sidhu also discussed the strategies to be adopted by professors and teachers to motivate their students to remain away from drugs.
VCs and their representative from Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjabi University, Patiala, GNDU Amritsar, Guru Kanshi University Talwandi Sabo, Chandigarh University, Adesh University, Bathinda, Rayat Bahra University, Mohali, GNA University Phagwara, Akal University, Shree Guru Ram Das University of Health Sciences Amritsar, Lovely Professional University and PBGCTA attended the meeting.
They discussed various measures being taken at the level of their respective universities for awareness and to combat the menace of drug abuse in their campuses.
They also gave few suggestions to the government like removal of khokhas, small-time vendors from nearby and periphery of their campuses since such vendors are often found to be a great source of supplying intoxicants. Other suggestions include regular interactions between university students and SSPs of districts, special focus on regular checking of hostels by university staff, more student engagement programmes, use of university radio channels etc.