Patiala, November 10, 2023: The Patiala Youth Red Cross Society of Government Mohindra College, in collaboration with the Red Cross Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts, launched a Drug De-Addiction Awareness Campaign on Thursday.
The campaign began with a lecture on the topic of drug addiction and rehabilitation by Parminder Kaur Manchanda, Project Coordinator, Red Cross Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts. Manchanda was accompanied by Councillors Amarjit Kaur and Amritpal Singh.
The resource persons highlighted the various ill-effects of drugs with the help of boards and banners. They also provided information regarding the various facilities available at the Rehabilitation Centre of Saket Hospital.
The college students actively participated in the question-answer session. The principal of the college, Amarjit Singh, presided over the function and welcomed the guest speaker. In his welcome speech, he said that drug addiction has become a major problem for the youth of the country, and that events like this are necessary to guide the youth on the right path.
Coordinator Youth Red Cross Society, Government Mohindra College, Dr Gagandip Cheema, also welcomed the guest speaker. He said that about 1.58 crore youngsters between the ages of 10 and 17 in India have fallen into the trap of drug abuse.
Cheema’s claim is supported by a recent study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which found that India has the highest number of drug users in the world, with an estimated 3.1 crore people using drugs. The study also found that the number of young drug users in India is increasing at an alarming rate.
The Drug De-Addiction Awareness Campaign launched by the Patiala Youth Red Cross Society is a timely and important initiative. It is hoped that the campaign will help to educate the youth about the dangers of drug abuse and encourage them to seek help if they or someone they know is struggling with addiction.
