Minister Anitha Urges Youth To Stay Away From Drugs

 Vijayawada: Home and disaster management minister Vangalapudi Anitha on Friday said protecting young people from the growing drug menace was vital to safeguarding the future of the state and the country.

Addressing a programme organised at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in Vijayawada to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, she reaffirmed the government's commitment to building a drug-free Andhra Pradesh through strict enforcement and public awareness.

Anitha said nearly 3.5 to 4 crore people across the country were addicted to ganja and other narcotic substances, with adolescents aged 13 to 18 increasingly falling prey to addiction. She said 60 to 70 per cent of drug users were introduced to drugs through peer influence and urged students to stay away from such associations.

Warning that possession, consumption or transportation of narcotic substances attracts stringent punishment under the NDPS Act, including imprisonment, the Minister said the Centre and the state government were jointly implementing anti-drug campaigns to prevent addiction among youth.

Highlighting the work of the Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE), she said the 450-member force had curbed ganja cultivation and trafficking, eradicated large-scale cultivation in agency areas and acted against hash oil manufacturing units.

Women, child welfare, differently-abled and senior citizens welfare secretary A. Suryakumari described drug abuse as a growing threat and urged people to report drug-related activities through EAGLE, its toll-free helplines or the emergency number 112.

Twenty-Point programme implementation committee chairman Lanka Dinakar and EAGLE SP K. Nagesh Kumar also addressed the programme. The Minister later visited awareness stalls and took part in a "Say No to Drugs" signature campaign.