Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan of Himachal Pradesh High Court and executive chairman of Himachal Pradesh State Legal Services Authority stated that the increase of drug abuse amongst children, youth, and adolescents has far-reaching effects, which tends to not only adversely affects the health and economic conditions of the victims along with their families but also the entire society and nation at large. Thus, he was of the view that restricting and fighting back drug abuse is the top priority of the state and also society.
Image Source: NACADA
The State of Himachal Pradesh in collaboration with the Himachal Pradesh Police Department organized a virtual campaign for awareness and sensitization against drug abuse on Sunday 18 June 2024. The campaign was conducted at 48 different sub-divisional legal services committees and 69 village legal care and support centers to spread awareness about the hazardous effects of drug abuse.
Justice Chauhan also spoke about the “NALSA (Legal Services to the Victims of Drug Abuse and Eradication of Drug Menace) Scheme, 2015″, it aims to spread awareness amongst the general masses regarding the Legal Provisions, various Policies, Programmes, and Schemes, in respect of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances as well as to create awareness about the ill effects of drug abuse amongst the masses and society. The Scheme makes specific provisions for the State Legal Service Authorities to assist and provide necessary legal services to the sufferers of drug trafficking and drug abuse.
Image Source: LEARN UNLEARN
The campaign highlighted the importance of chemists looking out for children and youth who buy drugs regularly without a prescription and refusing them to sell drugs. Apart from this, it also focused on creating awareness with the help of electronic and print media and tapping the possibility of Panchayati Raj/ local bodies at the core level for intervention and prevention of drug abuse and destruction of illegal cultivation of plants used to derive the drug.
On the inauguration day of the campaign, approximately 6300 people became a part of the virtual meet from 65 different locations throughout the state. The drive will be active for an entire week and will conclude on 26th June 2024 on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, in which a total of 117 camps will be organized. The theme for this year is, “People first: stop stigma and Discrimination, strengthen prevention”.
