Shillong, Sept 6: Meghalaya is trying its best to curb the menace of drug addiction but it’s a steep challenge in the face of people and families not coming forward to report drug users among their friends and family.
Meghalaya’s Social Welfare department has been quite active in its anti-drug campaign and urging people to come forward to report those indulging in substance abuse or overuse of drugs.
According to Social Welfare and Excise Minister, Kyrmen Shylla, it is very difficult to trace drug users because they are very clandestine about its use. “They don’t reveal about it to anyone, including their family members,” he said thereby making it hard for the department to trace them and ‘treat’ them.
“It is very challenging to us as a department,” he said.
In comparison to alcohol, he said it is much easier to trace and detect consumers and addicts of alcohol because of the smell, which is not the case with drug users. Thus, making the detection of addicts many times more difficult.
He also said that many are not coming forward fearing bad reputation for themselves or their families in the society.
Drug addiction is a sickness
The Minister, however, insisted that drug addiction is a sickness which can be corrected if timely intervention is provided.
“Drug users should come forward and if the family knows about it, they should come public because it can be treated. People should not think of it as stigma because they have a drug addict in the family. It is a sickness,” he said.
He also shared that there have been cases of drug addicts committing suicide because others, including their families, were about to learn of their sickness. To avoid such tragedies, he appealed that families and friends need to report about the addicts among them so that their rehabilitation can be started on time and save their precious lives.
Meanwhile, the Minister also lauded the Police department for doing their best to curb the menace of drugs smuggling by being on constant vigil and checking of vehicles based on intelligence inputs.
