War on drugs not winnable sans prevention: MSF
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 28 2021:
Manipuri Students' Federation (MSF) has stated that the state government's War of Drugs cannot achieve success without integration of the Drug Use Prevention campaign.
Addressing a press meet held at its office on Monday, MSF Drug Affairs secretary Oinam Premdas recalled that the students' body organised a public convention on Drug Use prevention under the theme "People's Convention on Incorporating Drug Use Prevention in School Syllabus" on March 25 at Imphal College.
The convention was attended by DM University VC Prof N Rajmuhon; MU Department of Economics associate professor Dr Chinglen Meisnam; social scientist Dr Dhanabir Laishram; DMU Department of Political Science assistant professor Dr Arambam Noni; Clinical Psychologist Rk Dhanapati; Clinical Psychologist Paonam Thoibi; Moirang College assistant professor (Political Science) Md Rafijuddin Shah and Department of Psychiatry and RIMS Associate Prof Dr Senjam Gojendra Singh as panellists, along with experts, intellectuals and scholars from different sectors.
The recommendations adopted during the convention were forwarded to the Chief Minister, Education Minister and SCERT Director in the form of a memorandum, he added.
"The number of youth drug abusers in the state has increased exponentially over the years, thereby reducing productivity and life expectancy rate.
If the drug use prevention is not included in the school syllabus, it could lead to rise of drug abusers", he remarked.
While appreciating the government's attempt to hinder supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction, Premdas said that drug prevention campaign needs to be integrated in the War on Drugs, so as to reap the desired results.
Psychological and moral support could be provided through the school syllabus, he stated, while adding that the same could be introduced from Class V onwards.
In this regard, MSF has already submitted a memorandum to the state government, he conveyed.
"The memorandum submitted by MSF seeks inclusion of core life skills enunciated by World Health Organisation in the school syllabus, introduction of drug preventive measures from Class V onwards, inclusion of economic and cognitive impact in the syllabus, and practical knowledge of drug menace, liquor, opium, heroin, morphine, cannabis, sedatives, cocaine, tobacco, etc., in the syllabus", Premdas revealed.