Kozhikode district panchayat to organise mass awareness campaign to combat substance abuse

The Kozhikode district panchayat has decided to embark on a mass awareness campaign against substance abuse with the support of three-tier panchayats and various socio-cultural and political organisations. A mass oath-taking session with the participation of two million citizens expressing solidarity with anti-drug activities will be one of the highlights of the upcoming campaign.

To plan the campaign, a meeting of three-tier panchayat heads and leaders of prominent organisations will be convened in the first week of April. The ’02 Million Pledge’ against substance abuse will also be discussed and finalised at the meeting.

Campaign coordinators said ward-level grama sabhas would be convened in all grama panchayats to discuss the programmes to be included in the campaign. There would be separate panchayat-level meetings of political parties, voluntary organisation leaders, and social activists, they added.

According to district panchayat officials, the ground-level meetings will be over by the second week of April. In the first week of May, the first public convention will be held in the district to declare solidarity with the anti-drug awareness campaign. The ‘02 Million Pledge’ event will also be held along with the public convention, they added.

District panchayat president Sheeja Sasi recently held a meeting with the heads of various government departments and standing committees to ensure their cooperation in organising the programme. She also requested the cooperation of departments like Health, Youth Welfare, and Social Justice.

Against the backdrop of the rise in synthetic drug seizures and continuing arrests of youngsters, local administrators have been initiating action plans to combat the situation. Local vigilance committees have been formed in various grama panchayats as part of efforts to improve local surveillance against drug pushers. The district panchayat authorities pointed out that the formation of quick response teams was also part of intensified action plans against drug trafficking and drug abuse.