THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Noting that implementing a law to snuff out addiction is not the policy of the state government, Excise Minister TP Ramakrishnan said that building grassroot-level awareness targeting families and the public at large is the effective way to curb drug menace in the state.
"As far as the state is concerned, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) enacted by the Centre has been ineffective. We had requested the Central Government to bring an amendment to the law, but it remains unheeded," said Ramakrishnan, while inaugurating the state-level anti-drug workshop at the Government Guest House here on Wednesday.
The workshop was conducted by Kerala’s drug and addiction-free mission ‘Vimukthi’, launched by the State Excise Department, as part of the ongoing 90-day anti-drug awareness drive on the theme ‘Tomorrow’s Kerala, Addiction-Free Kerala’.
"Library councils have a close connect with common people and they have to be used to achieve Vimukthi’s goals," he said, adding that politics should not be a hindrance while getting involved with anti-drug campaigns.
There are de-addiction centres in all 14 of the state’s districts and each centre has 10 beds. He said that the government has decided to increase the number of beds in these centres. At present, counselling centres are functioning in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.