The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Call to make Tiruvannamalai drug-free

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Call to make Tiruvannamalai drug-free

Special Correspondent

Special symposium held at Indo-American College, Cheyyar

People can call 9842766779, 0416-2226341 to give information about drug peddlers
Government should ban sale of medicines without prescription, says officer

TIRUVANNAMALAI: The Superintendent of Police (SP), Tiruvannamalai, V. Balakrishnan, has appealed to members of the public to help make Tiruvannamalai a drug-free district.

He was speaking at a special symposium organised by the Field Publicity Office, Vellore, the office of the Deputy-Director of Health Services, Cheyyar, and the Narcotics Intelligence Bureau (NIB) at the Indo-American College in Cheyyar in connection with the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday.

Mr. Balakrishnan said that about 20 crore people in the world used drugs.

In India, 6.25 crore people are addicted to alcohol, 87 lakh to cannabis, and 20 lakh to opium. He appealed to students to realise their social responsibility and inform the police if they come across drug peddlers.

Mr. Balakrishnan said that once a person gets addicted to drugs, it is difficult to off the habit. International drug peddlers targeted the youth, who fall easy prey to drugs. Drug trafficking has close nexus with international terrorism as terrorists source their funds from the income earned by drug traffickers.

Mr. Balakrishnan cautioned the youth against falling into the trap laid by drug traffickers.

K.S.T. Suresh, Deputy-Director of Health Services, Cheyyar, said the practice of misusing medicines as drugs is on the rise.

Therefore the government should ban the sale of medicines without the prescription of doctors in medical shops.

T. Sivakumar, Field Publicity Officer, Vellore, said 390 treatment and drug de-addiction centres were functioning under the control of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, throughout the country. Since the existing mode of treatment was not effective against drug addicts, the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) is planning to implement oral substitution therapy for those using intra-venous drugs.

A total of two lakh intra-venous drug users would be covered under the scheme, he said.

Inspector of Police (NIB) A. Kadhiravan told people to call 9842766779 or 0416-2226341 whenever they get information about drug trafficking.

L. Kuppusamy, Principal, Indo-American College, presided over the programme. Prathap Kumar, Block Medical Officer, Primary Health Centre, Navalpakkam, explained the impact of various drugs on health.

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