THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Keralam is taking its fight against drugs to the next level. Along with arrests and seizures, the excise department is now placing equal focus on rehabilitation, counselling and prevention with the participation of public and voluntary organisations.
Among the slew of measures it has initiated are de-addiction and rehabilitation centres, public vigilance committees for spreading awareness and a task force of volunteers.
“We have initiated steps to set up de-addiction and rehabilitation centres across the state. Discussions were held with health experts and a detailed project report (DPR) for model de-addiction centres is being prepared.
At the district-level, the centres will come up either directly under the department or in partnership with voluntary organisations. A pool of trained counsellors is also being formed to make counselling services more accessible,” Excise Commissioner Sambasiva Rao told TNIE.
To spread awareness on drug menace, Excise Minister M Liju and Local Self-Government Minister K M Shaji had chalked out a coordinated plan earlier.
Under it, 23,612 ward-level ‘Janajagratha Samithis’ (public vigilance committees) have been formed across local bodies to help people access counselling and de-addiction services and report drug-related complaints and hotspots. Meetings have been held in over 3,000 wards already.
This apart, a 50,000-member Thunder Task Force of volunteers – two from every ward – is also being formed.
The department has also identified 138 drug hotspots for conversion into ‘RELACS’ spots – leisure spaces. Anti-drug clubs in schools and colleges have been renamed Thunder Clubs and over 6,800 awareness programmes have been held in educational institutions so far against a target of 20,000.
This apart, the ‘Nervazhi’ scheme has been implemented to empower teachers to flag students requiring help. Select campuses are being declared ‘drug-free campuses.’
The plan
23,612 ward-level ‘Janajagratha Samithis’ have been formed to help people access counselling and de-addiction services and report drug-related complaints and hotspots
A 50,000-member Thunder Task Force of volunteers – two from every ward – is also being formed
The department has also identified 138 drug hotspots for conversion nto ‘RELACS’ spots – leisure spaces. Anti-drug clubs in schools and colleges have been renamed Thunder Clubs and over 6,800 awareness programmes have been held