In the wake of increasing prevalence of intoxicant abuse among teenagers, the government has launched a state-wide de-addiction awareness programme in schools.
The programme, conceived by the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT), in association with the Departments of Education and Excise, was inaugurated at the Secretariat here on Wednesday. A handbook for teachers, titled ‘Athijeevanam-The Survival’, which lays down guidelines to spread the message of de-addiction among students, was launched on the occasion. “The message of deaddiction and the harmful effects of intoxicants will be incorporated in the curriculum, slated to be revised next year,” said Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb, who handed over the handbook to Excise Minister K Babu. “Teachers in charge of de-addiction clubs in schools will be imparted one-day training to effectively spread the message prescribed in the handbook among students,” he said.
He added that though the programme was being implemented in upper primary and high schools from this academic year, the government also planed to include higher secondary and vocational higher secondary Schools soon. The teachers’ handbook was prepared as teachers are the persons who can influence children the most in countering intoxicant abuse, SCERT director K A Hashim said.
The handbook consists of seven chapters dealing with the role of teachers in de-addiction, the historic and cultural aspects of intoxicant abuse, various intoxicants, reasons for intoxicant abuse, harmful effects of intoxicant abuse, addiction as a disease and students’ role in de-addiction activities.
No New Liquor Outlets No new outlets of the Beverages Corporation (Bevco) have been opened since the UDF Government came to power and the government has no plans to open any new liquor outlets during its remaining tenure, Minister Babu said while speaking at the launch of the de-addiction awareness programme.
“De-addiction efforts are also of top priority to the Excise Department. The sales of Bevco have seen a drop of three per cent in May, compared to the sales in May last year. This itself shows that our de-addiction efforts have been effective,” Babu said.
“Anti-liquor activists demand total ban on alcohol while some say making alcohol more available to people will arrest prevalence of hooch. The government, however, wants to follow a middle path,” he said.