DRUG MENACE KEEPS HAUNTING PUNJAB DESPITE EFFORTS TO COUNTER

Be it 2018, 2023, or 2024, Punjab’s youngsters continue to be in the grip of drug addiction just as their predecessors were decades ago.

- TARUNI GANDHI

In the past two weeks alone, at least 14 alleged drug overdose deaths have been reported across the state. Despite numerous initiatives and campaigns in the past years, the situation has worsened with each passing day. Over the last six years, the state’s efforts to combat this scourge have faced significant challenges, and the impact on young lives remains dire.

In a bid to combat the rising menace of drug addiction in Punjab, then-Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh launched the “Tu Mera Buddy” program on 15 August 2018, marking the 72nd Independence Day. The initiative, aimed at schools and colleges, was a clarion call for “Nashe Ton Azadi” (freedom from drugs). Lauding the success of the Drug Abuse Prevention Officers (DAPO) program, the CM envisioned this new campaign as a grassroots movement, involving principals, teachers, students, and their parents. The program was designed to be led by class teachers and supervised by principals and district education officers.

Despite the initial enthusiasm, “Tu Mera Buddy” soon faced significant challenges. Nodal officers of government schools, listed by the district administration, disowned the scheme, stating they were no longer associated with it.