Dr Lenin shares thoughts
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 25 2022: Founder of Medical Media Group Dr RK Lenin has stressed on the need to make the ban on illicit drug trade more effective so as to take the State forward and provide a platform conducive for the youth to prosper.

Speaking to media persons at the Psychiatry Department RIMS today, Dr Lenin said that illicit drug trade and abuse of the same are the greatest social ills besieging contemporary Manipur.

Saying that there are three widely accepted strategies to prevent drug misuse - supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction, Dr Lenin continued that there are many people who believe that supply and demand reductions must go concurrently to prevent drug abuse.

He maintained that harm reduction is another strategy which aims to prevent substance abuse in a gradual process and not straight away like the one envisioned in demand reduction and supply reduction methods.

Continuing that harm reduction is the most effective method to prevent drug abuse among the three as it is more of a treatment, Dr Lenin, however, said that harm reduction is not the only option.

Saying that there are many others who abuse drugs discreetly, Dr Lenin said that there might be around 40 thousand people who abuse intravenous drugs and about 1 lakh people who take other intoxicants.

He further statted that the RIMS doesn't have the facilities to accommodate all the people with substance abuse problems.

There are about 23 rehabilitation centres approved by the Centre in Manipur and the Government is considering establishing some more to tackle drug misuse, he added.

Continuing that there are many private rehabilitation centres in the State too, Dr Lenin opined that there, however, is shortage of staff in some rehabilitation centres and it sometimes creates problems.

There are also many women who couldn't abstain from drugs and the figure could rise exponentially soon, Dr Lenin said and added that serving alcohol in weddings and other ceremonies has become a tradition and it is not a good sign for the society at large.

Comment