Home Minister Anitha Flags Off "Say No To Drugs" Cycle Campaign
A team of 25 police personnel from these districts will cycle over 1,000 kilometres, conducting awareness programmes at schools, colleges and villages.
VISAKHAPATNAM: Home minister Vangalapudi Anitha and Visakhapatnam Range DIG Gopinath Jatti flagged off a 30-day "Say No to Drugs” 1,000-kilometer awareness campaign against substance abuse, covering Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam and Srikakulam districts.
A team of 25 police personnel from these districts will cycle over 1,000 kilometres, conducting awareness programmes at schools, colleges and villages.
Before flagging off the cyclists, Anitha administered a pledge to students that they will stay away from drugs. She pointed out that youth are the future. It is the collective responsibility of society to protect them from being harmed by drugs.
She advised students to call 1972 immediately in case they come across anyone transporting or consuming marijuana.
Gopinath Jatti highlighted the police department’s efforts in combating drug abuse over the past 14 months. He underlined that they distributed 46.8 lakh plants in ASR district as crops alternative to cannabis for sowing over 10,817.25 acres in 2024–25, and 1,35,453 eucalyptus plants to 196 farmers in 210 acres during 2025–26.
As a result, cannabis cultivation has reduced from 7,515 acres in 2021–22 to just 93 acres in 2024–25. They are targeting zero cultivation during 2025–26 through continuous monitoring via drones and satellite imagery, the DIG stated.
District SP Tuhin Sinha said the cyclists will continue their journey for about 30 days, covering about 1,000 kilometres. They will stop en route to hold awareness meetings, cultural programmes and discussions with students to explain the harm caused by drugs.
