Determined to curb a creeping rise in substance use, the Directorate of Social Welfare rolled its Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan caravan into Wandoor Gram Panchayat last week, staging a multi-department outreach that placed scientific facts and community responsibility centre-stage. The 9 May session, whose details were released on 15 May, pooled expertise from the Police anti-narcotics division, the Health Department and the Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts to sketch the cause-and-effect chain linking alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse to crime rates, domestic strife and lost livelihoods.
Officers outlined how early experimentation often escalates into chronic dependency and described available detox services, counselling lines and halfway-home support. Health educators added cautionary notes on organ damage and the higher risk of infectious diseases among injecting-drug users.
Panchayat functionaries pledged to maintain follow-up registers, track at-risk youth and coordinate with police for timely intervention. The event ended with distribution of helpline brochures and contact numbers for IRCA field counsellors. Organisers say feedback suggests villagers now view addiction more as a treatable health issue than a moral failing, a shift they believe is crucial for effective prevention.
