VISAKHAPATNAM: Beyond the intense crackdown on ganja abuse, trade, and illicit cultivation across the Andhra-Odisha Border region and various districts in the State, police are focusing on community outreach with initiatives like Sankalpam, aimed at educating youth on the severe and often irreversible consequences of substance abuse.
Experts emphasise that such proactive measures are essential in addressing deeply ingrained psychological challenges of addictions.
Clinical psychologist Dr Bhavani explained that individuals struggling with addiction often experience a cycle of reward and regret.
“Drugs deliver a rush of dopamine, the brain’s ‘feel-good’ chemical, providing a fleeting escape from stress or emotional pain,” she noted.
“However, this high is short-lived, followed quickly by guilt, shame, and physical discomfort. This loop becomes a maze that is incredibly hard to escape without support.”
Bhavani added addiction rewires the brain, making it crave that dopamine boost even if the individual wants to stop, which complicates recovery without external support.
Initiatives like Sankalpam aim to break down these psychological barriers, demonstrating that support and help are accessible. “Support systems, de-addiction centres, and continuous counselling can gradually help the brain adapt and lessen its dependency on substances,” she said.
Launching the Sankalpam initiative at Dadi Institute of Engineering on Wednesday, Anakapalle District SP Tuhin Sinha, who leads the programme in the district, appealed the youth to stay away from drugs. He emphasised that youth often underestimate the risks, assuming that experimenting with drugs ‘just once’ is harmless.
However, he warned that even a single exposure can lead to dependency, trapping users in a cycle of reward and regret that becomes increasingly difficult to break. “Peer pressure, curiosity, and fear of social exclusion can draw youth toward drug abuse,” Sinha said, stressing that early intervention and education are essential.
As part of Sankalpam, the police use visual aids like posters, pamphlets, and banners in schools and colleges, along with videos and presentations, to educate students on the impact of drugs on physical health, mental well-being, family relationships, and communities. Following each session, students are encouraged to pledge to a drug-free life.
Psychologists believe that rather than suppressing stress, loneliness, or self-doubt, youth can learn resilience through counselling, mindfulness practices, or creative conduits like art and sports. They suggest these practices provide constructive coping mechanisms.
Sinha also highlighted the severity of laws on drug-related crimes, pointing out that while murderers may be eligible for 14 years in jail, drug offenders can face prison terms of up to 20 years. This reflects the government’s commitment to combatting drug abuse, he added.