Jhalsa Launches State-Wide Youth Drug Abuse Awareness Program on National Youth Day

Ranchi: The Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (Jhalsa) will conduct a state-wide awareness and outreach programme against drug abuse among youths on Monday. The campaign will culminate with the observance of National Youth Day on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.Organised under the ‘DAWN (Drug Awareness and Wellness Navigation) For a Drug Free India Scheme’ of the National Legal Services Authority, the programme will be conducted in collaboration with state govt departments, Narcotic Control Bureau, NGOs, schools and colleges.Moreover, at the direction of Jharkhand High Court judge and executive chairman of Jhalsa, Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, a day-wise standard operating procedure (SOP) for the programme has been sent to all district legal service authorities.The SOP includes rallies, walkathon, bicycle rallies, display of slogans ‘Say yes to life, No to drugs’, street plays, outreach in slums and rural pockets, interactive sessions in schools and colleges, expert lectures, talks on ill-effects of drugs, dissemination of helpline number 15100, circulation of messages through posters, videos, WhatsApp groups and interaction meetings with parents, teachers and NGOs. A Jhalsa official said, “The focus will be on the youths. Schools and colleges will be covered extensively. Apart from awareness, youths will also be informed about the de-addiction and rehabilitation programme.”Notably, in view of the grave impact of drug abuse, the Centre is also carrying out the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ drive in coordination with various govt departments.The state govt had also conducted a state-wide awareness drive against drug abuse from June 10 to 26 last year in schools, colleges, slums, other urban hotspots and also villages where poppy cultivation was done.As many as 850 master trainers were involved in the campaign.