The curse of drugs afflicting the youth is a matter of great concern for the Government and civil society. Unfortunately, the menace is on increase in our State. Despite the fact that the Government is making strenuous efforts of opening avenues of employment for youth or providing skills to enable them to earn their living, addiction to drugs is not under control. Therefore, as the Chief Minister has rightly said, the campaign against drugs has to be an inclusive effort. Government, civil society and religious leaders have to combine their efforts to overcome the social evil. As such some sort of coordination should emerge among the three components with a clear roadmap of how to approach the youth with strong persuasion to distance from drug addiction. Parents, too, have a major role. After all, the parents have to be the first informers and if early remedial measures are taken, there is every possibility that the youth will not be drawn to drug addiction.
We have reformation centres where drug addicts are treated. These reformation centres have to be upgraded and modernized in a way that the youth are made aware of the dangers of drug addiction especially its dangerous effects on health and secondly its consequences as a social aberration. The Government has the added responsibility of streamlining the drug prevention machinery. There is a drug mafia at work and it has a widespread network. The Government has to frame anti-drug policy not only on paper but actually on the ground. Drug mafia has international links and these links have to be unearthed and terminated once for all. Enforcement organization has to be upgraded and drug networks have to be unearthed and dismantled.
Finally, as the CM has said, religious leaders have a duty of delivering sermons that bring out the embargo which all religions impose on the use of drugs. The youth have to make a commitment that they will not touch the drugs and will not become the cause of disintegration of family. Voluntary organizations must also make their contribution to the health of society.
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