JALANDHAR
In a concerted effort to eradicate drug abuse, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal and Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur on Thursday emphasized a decisive battle against narcotics to transform Jalandhar into a drug-free district.
They visited the Drug De-Addiction Centre situated at Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Civil Hospital, wherein they assessed the steps taken by the health department in rehabilitating drug addicts. They were apprised by the doctors that a total of 21 patients were currently taking treatment here at this centre to get rid of this drug. Besides, approximately 1000 patients get treatment at this centre per annum.
Dr. Aggarwal highlighted the Punjab Government's commitment, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, to eliminating drug addiction through a multi-pronged strategy. He reaffirmed that the Jalandhar Administration was dedicated to reintegrating rehabilitated youth into society by providing employment opportunities and skill development training. Dr. Aggarwal also asked the health officials about their requirements to further strengthen de-addiction services here.
During their visit, the officials interacted with patients and their families, gathering feedback on the treatment process. The patients expressed complete satisfaction about the treatment facilities being provided at dr-addiction centre. They also took stock of success stories who have beaten this abuse and joined the mainstream. Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur urged citizens to cooperate with authorities by reporting drug-related activities in their localities. She highlighted that Police were making concerted efforts to break drug supply chain so that cured patients do not get trapped in the drug net again. The DC and CP also emphasized the importance of viewing drug-affected youth as patients, encouraging society to support their recovery through de-addiction programs. They further stated that the Police and Civil Administration have also started collecting firsthand information about drug sources from the affected patients and a massive crackdown was already launched against perpetrators of this crime. Likewise, list of drug hotspots was being prepared on behalf of the information provided by affected persons and administration was making concerted efforts to turn these hotspots into model areas by providing different facilities including health, education, rehabilitation, skill development and employment opportunities, said the DC.
Both officials reiterated the Punjab Government’s unwavering commitment to combating the drug menace and called for community participation in this crucial fight against substance abuse.
They also said that a de-addiction helpline number will be issued soon where people, especially drug affected persons can contact to get an insight into de-addiction programs. They called upon drug affected persons to take maximum benefits of de-addiction program being run by state government as they will get all the treatment facilities free-of-cost.