Imphal, June 20: Ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking which falls on June 26, a week-long anti-drug campaign has begun from today at Wabagai.

Being organised under the aegis of Coalition Against Drugs and Alcoholism (CADA), a mass rally was taken out and later a public meeting was convened at Wabagai to kick off the campaign.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) has designated June 26 as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and the day is being observed since 1987 .

The theme of this year's observance is 'Do drugs control yourself, Let us stop drug cultivation and production'.

During the course of the week-long campaign, street corner meetings, poster campaign, torch rally, blood donation camps would be organised and the campaign would culminate along with a function at MDU Hall on June 26 .

When the rally which had been flagged off by MLA Surchandra from Kakching Model High School ground arrived at Wabagai, the public meeting was held at Wabagai Lamkhai.

The meeting proceeded with MLA Y Surchandra, CADA president Keisham Ongbi Taruni and MLA Usham Deben taking the dais as chief guest, functional president and guest of honour respectively.

Advisor of CADA Joy Nongmeithem and Deputy Director of MACS L Abhiram were among other resource persons who addressed the meeting.

Delivering the key note address, general secretary of CADA Leishangthem Naobi said that CADA has been set up with the main objective of fighting against the evils of drug abuse in the society.

Quoting MACS report, she said that out of the total 24 lakhs people in Manipur, 22,000 of them have now been addicted.

This is only the tip of the iceberg as there are many unreported cases, she said, adding that the number of alcoholics in Manipur is so much so now that it is easier to count the number of sobers.

Along with this drug related crimes has been on the rise, she said, while recalling the incident of snatching ear-rings and killing of Baby Sahani, Sankar, Momocha by drug addicts.

Further-more, she pointed out that till March 2007, the number of reported injecting drug users (IDUs) in Manipur is 15,575 and 58 percent of them have been confirmed HIV positive after testing.

If the situation remains this way, then the day would not be far when Manipuri society would be extinct, she expressed concern.

Speaking as chief guest of the meeting, MLA Y Surchandra observed that the number of deaths from HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and alcoholism in Manipur today is uncountable.

Along with this, if we look at other problems existing in the State, the future of Manipur is indeed bleak, the MLA said, while giving a war cry against drug abuse, illicit trafficking and alcoholism. However, he cautioned that the anti-drug activists should not resort to excesses in their dealing with the problem.

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