NCPCR, MCPCR review action plan on substance use
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 17 2024:
Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) Chairperson Keisham Pradipkumar has expressed serious concern on the increasing number of children below 18 who have taken to intoxicating drugs.
A State level review cum consultation programme on "Joint Action Plan on Substance Abuse among Children and Illicit Trafficking" was held today at Manipur Press Club under the aegis of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the MCPCR.
Speaking at the review cum consultation programme, Keisham Pradipkumar said that a large number of children below 18 years are becoming a community of substance users.
There are reports of substance use by children as young as 12 or 13.To address this disturbing trend, all stakeholders, particularly Education Department, Social Welfare Department and Police need to join hands and work together, he said.
At the same time, signboards must be installed at proper places clearly stating that intoxicating substances cannot be sold within 100 metre radius of schools.
Moreover, one trained counsellor should be assigned to each school/educational institute to study the mental health and changing behaviour of students, Pradipkumar said.
Parents should take their children to doctors and children rehabilitation centres for treatment as soon as they come to know that their children have started using substances.
Substance use is a problem that can be cured with proper treatment, he asserted.
Instead of seeing substance use as a crime and drug users as criminals, people ought to accept that substance use is a crime that can be cured with proper treatment, he continued.
The MCPCR Chairperson called upon all stakeholders encompassed by the joint action plan to work collectively and save the young children from intoxicating substances.
"The number of drug or substance users has been increasing over the years in Manipur.
Now a very disturbing trend has been emerging where drugs are ordered online and delivered at home.
It's time all stakeholders work collectively to save the young children", he said.
Social Welfare Director Ngangom Uttam highlighted the growing need for opening crisis intervention centres in each and every school.
These centres would look after brats, students who have started taking intoxicating substances as well as students who are mistreating fellow transgender students.
At least two or three teachers, one counsellor from the nearest children home and one representative of the nearest treatment and rehabilitation of users for social transformation should be part of the crisis intervention centre, Uttam said.
Many schools, particularly private schools usually call parents and issue transfer certificates when a student is found using substances.
Such a way of issuing transfer certificates is not a correct step, he said.
If the school has a crisis intervention centre, it can take help of a de-addiction centre's counsellor or the counsellor of a children home on tackling the matter in a mature manner, the Social Welfare Director said.
Sections 77 and 78 of the Juvenile Justice Act should be displayed on all notice boards of schools.
Section 77 of JJ Act says that if any one sells or gives drugs to a juvenile, the particular individual should be punished not the juvenile.
The one who sells drugs to a juvenile can be jailed for up to seven years and imposed a fine of up to Rs two lakh, he said.
He also appealed to police to invoke Sections 77 and 78 of the JJ Act instead of NDPS Act whenever a child is arrested with drugs.