From FOMO to ROMO — 8 Lakh Students, One Mission: A Drug-Free Punjab

"Instead of waiting for children to fall into addiction and then treating them, we are entering the classrooms to ensure they never get there in the first place," said Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains.

- Taruni Gandhi Chandigarh

In a pioneering move to counter the growing drug crisis among adolescents, the Punjab government has launched a structured, fortnightly, film-led drug prevention curriculum across all 3,600+ government secondary schools. Targeting over eight lakh students in Classes IX to XII, the initiative shifts the state's approach from reactive to preventive—bringing the battle against addiction directly into classrooms.

A Shift From Fear to Empowerment

Titled "From FOMO to ROMO"—shorthand for "Fear of Missing Out" to "Relief of Missing Out"—the curriculum reframes abstaining from drugs as an act of liberation, not deprivation. According to Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, the program is "not just content—it's a shield for our children."

"Instead of waiting for children to fall into addiction and then treating them, we are entering the classrooms to ensure they never get there in the first place," Bains stated.

Built on Science, Guided by Stories

What makes this initiative groundbreaking is its research-driven foundation. It is designed by an international team of behavioral scientists led by Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee and supported by the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). The curriculum weaves together principles from adolescent psychology, behavioral economics, and addiction science.

At its core are short documentaries depicting the real-life recovery stories of nine former addicts from Punjab, interspersed with expert interviews. These are not foreign tales but local narratives from the students' own communities, making them deeply relatable and impactful.

Teachers as the Frontline