BHUBANESWAR: On a day dedicated to anti-drug abuse, 25 former addicts of alcohol and drugs embraced their ‘second lives’ with steely resolves in the capital city.
At a specially-designed session by Manam Wellness Centre in BJB Nagar area here on Wednesday, they explored their creative sides to regain confidence and bolster their faith on a life freed of dependency.
The inmates from Kadar, Steps, Ashirbad and Turning Point rehabilitation centres in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, had gathered at Manam to observe International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The session aimed at bringing them back to the mainstream by providing an opportunity to socialise. As part of the session, they took part in three activities- ‘Concept of Life’; ‘Just a minute’ and ‘Picture Game.’
It took a couple of weeks and few rounds of meetings for experts to design activities that required the participants to engage in teamwork.
“These activities instilled the spirit of positive competitiveness among the inmates. Competitiveness, in the positive sense, motivates an individual,” said Anuradha Mohapatra, an expert at Manam.
For each activity, the inmates had to participate in groups, comprising inmates of different centres. This helped them to learn how to co-exist among people- a significant step towards coming back to the mainstream.
The experts at Manam claimed that Odisha is racing towards addiction.
“There is easy access to drugs and alcohol in the City but the State is not well-equipped to tackle the menace. There’s also lack of awareness on how to bring the addicts to the mainstream,” they said.
Moreover, they raised concern over the impact of recently-released film, Kabir Singh, on the society.
Featuring Sahid Kapoor, the film has sparked controversies for glorifying “toxic masculinity”.
“The script of the film has glorified dependence on drugs and alcohol. It may have negative impact on youngsters,” said psychosocial counsellor Somya Mohapatra.