Chennai, Aug 11 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday led a major state-level anti-drug campaign in Chennai, calling upon students and the wider public to join hands with the government in its efforts to eliminate substance abuse and trafficking.
Addressing a large gathering at a city college, CM Vijay said the fight against narcotics required collective action involving the government, educational institutions, families and young people.
He urged students in particular to remain vigilant against attempts to lure them into drug use and to encourage their friends and peers to stay away from addictive substances.
The Chief Minister administered a mass anti-drug pledge at the event, with participants committing themselves to staying away from narcotics and helping create greater awareness about the dangers posed by drug abuse.
The pledge emphasised personal responsibility, protection of families and communities, support for people undergoing rehabilitation and cooperation with government agencies working to curb the supply and consumption of illegal drugs.
Participants also pledged to guide people vulnerable to addiction towards appropriate assistance and to contribute to the state’s broader campaign for a drug-free society. A large number of people across Tamil Nadu also joined the campaign digitally by taking an e-pledge through the Drug-Free Tamil Nadu portal, an official said.
The initiative is aimed at expanding public participation in the campaign beyond those attending physical events.
The government has stepped up its institutional response to the narcotics problem by establishing a specialised Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), with district-level units tasked with strengthening enforcement and intelligence gathering against drug networks.
Authorities have also introduced the Drug-Free Tamil Nadu App as part of efforts to involve educational institutions in identifying illegal drug activity. The application enables students and teachers to anonymously report suspected sale or distribution of narcotics in and around educational institutions and their neighbourhoods.
Alongside enforcement measures, the government is focusing on prevention and community participation. Youth volunteer groups have been trained to help maintain safer environments around schools and conduct local peer-to-peer awareness campaigns on the consequences of drug abuse.
Tuesday’s programme sought to reinforce the government’s message that enforcement alone would not be sufficient to tackle the problem and that sustained public participation, prevention, rehabilitation and awareness would be crucial to achieving the goal of a drug-free Tamil Nadu.
–IANS
aal/dpb