The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Anti-narcotics club formed

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Sunday, Jun 26, 2011
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Anti-narcotics club formed

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Students from around 30 schools and colleges in the city joined hands on Saturday at the Madras Medical College to form an anti-narcotics club to prevent substance abuse. The club was formed at a function organised as part of the international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. Under the aegis of the medical college, each participating student who is enrolled would carry forward the message that substance abuse is a disease, an addiction that should be prevented.

The form also included a pledge to be taken by the students that they would not consume drugs, would prevent others from doing so and spread the message that drug abuse can lead to destruction of society. MMC Dean V. Kanagasabai led the students in taking the oath.

Every year since 1988, June 26 is observed as the international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

But for the first time, a larger effort was made to bring together students and encourage them to form anti-narcotic clubs, Dr. Kanagasabai said. Narcotic and psychotropic drugs are often used for certain medical purpose as a treatment modality but misuse was difficult to detect, he said. Medical, pharmaceutical and nursing professionals could easily access drugs and were hence vulnerable to over prescribing them and thus leading to misuse, he added.

Substance abuse had increased among youth, who become victims of peer pressure or used drugs as they are unable to face failures. It was necessary to raise awareness among the youth about the harmful effects of the drugs.

Students should beware of peer pressure and face challenges and not take to drugs, Dr. Kanagasabai said.

Pazha. Karuppaiah, Harbour MLA, who distributed the certificates and prizes to winners of the elocution and poster contests conducted as part of the event, recalled that he had taken to smoking as a teenager and did not give it up until it affected his health.

It was a huge effort to give up smoking. Though he had given up cigarettes, his past continued to be a reason for his health problems now, he said. Senior officials from MMC and the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital participated in the programme. A presentation on various drugs and their misuse was also made.

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