Various proposals such as setting up of a special authority with statutory powers to curb the use of drugs, strengthening of coordination between various departments, notification of the Drug Control department as an agency to handle Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases, and inclusion of lessons on the dangers of drug addiction in the curriculum were part of a State-level workshop on combating substance abuse in the State organised by the District Legal Services Authority here on Saturday.
The workshop was organised in collaboration with Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) - India, and National Resource Centre for Non-Communicable Diseases. More than 30 recommendations to be implemented in the area of enforcement to reduce drug availability, about 15 recommendations related to awareness activities, and 15 recommendations for counselling, treatment and rehabilitation activities were submitted as part of the workshop.
A. Muhamed Mustaque, senior judge of the Kerala High Court, who inaugurated the workshop, said that internalising values to resist unwanted external influences along with proper education is required to combat the drug menace.
