Women in Himachal Pradesh's Dakolad village launch 'Uproot Cannabis' campaign to combat drug menace
In order to combat drug menace in Himachal Pradesh, Mahila Mandal of Dakolad village has launched a campaign, where local women will destroy cannabis plants which are found in abundance in the village.
Key Highlights
- Bhaang Ukhado (Uproot Cannabis) campaign is launched so that youth are unable to get their hands on these plants
- Women are doing this so that youth do not destroy their future and actively contribute to nation-building
- Cannabis, heroin, certain pharmaceutical drugs are some of the frequently used drugs in the country
New Delhi: Drugs have been a scourage to youth for years now, around 60 people died only in Punjab (January-June 2018) due to drug abuse. In order to combat drug menace in Himachal Pradesh, Mahila Mandal of Dakolad village, Rampur Bushahr has launched a campaign, where local women will destroy cannabis plants which are found in abundance in the area.
This group is also conducting awareness campaigns across the village and asking women to uproot cannabis plants to ensure that they are not used for recreational purposes. News agency ANI reported that as a significant part of this campaign, several women were seen uprooting cannabis on the side of roads, people's backyards and even in the commercial farms.
A participant of the program said that cannabis found in the area is consumed by the youth of the village and they will continue to do so if they find it easily. That is why they are running this Bhaang Ukhado (Uproot Cannabis) campaign so that youth are unable to get their hands on these plants.
Meanwhile, the program's head, Anjali told ANI that they have assembled today to uproot cannabis plants and make the area and their village drug-free. She further added that they are doing this so that youth do not destroy their future and actively contribute to nation-building.
This epidemic of substance abuse especially in the younger generation has assumed alarming dimensions in the country. Cannabis, heroin, certain pharmaceutical drugs are some of the frequently used drugs in the country. According to a report by the United Nations (UN), one million heroin addicts are registered in India, and unofficially there are as many as five million addicts injecting themselves with the deadly drug. Initially what would have started off as casual use amid the minuscule population of high-income group youth in the metropolitan cities has now permeated to all sections of the society.
In several cases, to hasten the process of addiction, along with the inhalation of heroin youth have started taking intravenous injections with a combination of other sedatives and painkillers. This promoted overdose of drugs making the recovery process complicated and in some cases, it resulted in death.
Another UN report has also stated that the peak levels of drug use are seen among those aged 18–25. This is broadly the situation observed in countries in most regions and for most drug types.
