Arunachal Pradesh deputy chief minister Chowna Mein on Thursday urged the youth of the state to shun the use of drugs and substances, but to take responsibility for building the society.
“Youths are the future of our country and should participate in nation-building activities and not fall prey to the drug menace,” Mein said.
The Arunachal Pradesh deputy CM was at Roing to flag off a vehicle carrying six victims of substance abuse for rehabilitation in Guwahati.
The youths were selected through the anti-drug squad drive of Roing police.
In his speech before the flag-off ceremony, Mein asked the youths to actively associate themselves in mainstream activities instead of leading passive lives.
He also commended the initiative of Roing police for educating the youth regarding the ill effects of drugs.
While lauding the efforts of the Roing superintendent of police, Mein said, “It is police which first encounters substance abuse victims and the said rehabilitation effort is an example that a dedicated police unit can perform beyond its chartered path of duties.”
The Arunachal deputy CM further urged the victims to launch a crusade against drugs by initiating a mass awareness campaign in the district after their return from rehabilitation so that the message reached every nook and corner of the state.
Superintendent of police SK Sain briefed the deputy chief minister about the anti-drug squad (crime unit) of the Roing police.
He said the squad is a unique initiative that has been created with a dedicated police unit who entrusted with drug-abuse containment duties by arresting drug peddlers and suppliers in the district.
The SP said the anti-drug squad has till date registered more than 20 cases under relevant narcotics law while 67 peddlers have been arrested and a huge quantity of narcotics have been seized.
“To ensure complete eradication of drug menace from the district the Roing police has delved into counseling and rehabilitation of victims of drug abuse,” said Sain.
“To achieve the same we had drafted a road-map and accordingly an anti-drug squad-rehabilitation unit was formed in Roing,” the SP said.
Sain informed that under the rehabilitation programme, a dedicated anti-drug squad- rehabilitation unit started off its mission with creating a registry of active drug users in the district.
“After the creation of the registry with the help of medical officials, health camps were organized and those were followed by multiple counselling sessions and fitness camps for the selected drug abuse victims,” SP Sain said.
Further exuding happiness, Sain said the long pursued rehabilitation programme has finally come to see the light of the day with a selection of six boys who were sent for rehabilitation.
The said venture is a zero budget programme with the entire rehabilitation drive being done in collaboration of corporates and funded through their CSR schemes.