The Rural Development Department and Panchayat Raj and Social Welfare Department (SWD) Kulgam today organized a day-long awareness program on drug abuse at Kulgam. The programme was presided over by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kulgam, Dr.Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat.
The event witnessed participation of PRIs, public, officials and resource persons from Social Welfare Department Kulgam, Drug De-addiction Centre Kulgam, District Drug controller office Kulgam and Addiction Treatment Facility Kulgam. Addressing the occasion, the DC showing concern over the increasing trend of Drug Abuse said that efforts of Administration alone will not be sufficient to control and arrest the menace of Drug Addiction.
He said that people's participation and proactive role in reporting cases of victims of abuse for rehabilitation as well as reporting cases of drug peddlers for police action, is pivotal to curb drug addiction. The DC also added that for rehabilitation of the victims of drugs, the Drug De-Addiction centre and Addiction Treatment Facility is functioning for treatment and rehabilitation of these patients and urged people not to stigmatize drug victims.
The DC added that 04 villages have achieved drug free status in the district which includes Palnoo Pandithpora, Lanker Pombay, Behibrada and Kadoora and efforts are on to make phase wise declaration of drug free villages through a concerted strategy. During the programme, importance and need for collaborative efforts from different departments and segments of society was highlighted to effectively tackle this pressing issue.
Throughout the programme, engaging speakers and experts delved into various dimensions of the drug menace, providing valuable insights into the psychological and clinical aspects of drug abuse and other related issues.