National Vice President Bharatiya Janata Party and MP Avinash Rai Khanna, Union Minister of State Vijay Sampla and Chairman Joshi Foundation and Assistant Media Advisor Punjab Vineet Joshi today met Union HRD Minister Smt Smriti Irani apprising her of the Anti-Drugs initiatives they have taken in Punjab since January 2015 under the banner of Joshi Foundation.They presented her an anti-drug information folder containing points to educate the masses about the early signs of drug addiction. The folder is drafted to educate parents about early signs of drug addiction. It has details on physical, behavioral, psychological and physical warning signs of drug abuse. This will help parents in early identification of drugs among their children and hence result in early intervention before it is too late. These are being widely circulated in schools, educational institutes, industrial workplaces, markers, bus stands etc.
Smriti Irani has asked her officials to study and explore the idea of distributing such folders in the schools under the ministry, such as central schools and Navodaya Schools. Appreciating the efforts of Khanna, Sampla and Joshi union minister Irani said that drug addiction is a challenge for society, which needed collaborative efforts of parents, society and government to rot out the evil from system.Khanna said that the drug abusers often conceal their symptoms and downplay their problem which escalates into bigger mental and health issues. “The folder contains information that warns parents and other well-aware people of the symptoms an addict exhibits. It talks about changes in appetite or sleep patterns, sudden weight loss or weight gain, unusual smells on breath, body or clothing, slurred speech, demand for more privacy which could be some significant indications that could assist in identification of a drug abuser,” Khanna said.