Mumbai Police embarks on awareness programme to curb Drug menace in city
Drug menace has emerged as a debatable issue. Innocent people are lured to this deadly substance
It comes as a good news that Police Personnel as part of their initiative to curb this menace are tackling it with local level awareness programme with informal talks, to build rapport and increase cooperation
With the possession and consumption of drugs on the rise, Govandi Shivaji Nagar Police has embarked on ‘NDPS Awareness Programme.
In the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, of 1985) awareness programme, the officers from the police station will visit dedicated spots and meet citizens twice every week to have informal discussions on the ill effects of drug consumption.
Drug suppliers and consumers are causing trouble so this initiative by the Police Personnel. Better late than never. Reportedly, they have identified 15 such spots in their jurisdiction where their officers take turns for weekly visits. The motive behind is to gather people around and talk to them like they talk to their friends.
Rajane, Senior Police Inspector Shivaji Nagar Police, officers explain to them about the NDPS Act, illegal drugs and the consequences of consumption in physical and mental senses, as well as from the law-and-order perspective.
The pre-dedicated spots include junior colleges, schools, bus stops, depots, and auto-rickshaw stands, where there is usually a.sizeable crowd available. According to Rajane, the officers are also assigned to give out emergency contact numbers of the police station, control room, Twitter account ID, and even the personal number of the police station administrator. This way they are genersting.confidence among people that they can approach them.at any time of the day. Since people now use social media more, the Police suggest they tweet if they find any problem or suspicion, or want to report anything, as then it gets directed to their team so that they can reach out to them in return..
As per Shivaji Nagar police officials, dangerous drugs like codeine, marijuana and mephedrone are commonly sold and consumed in areas like Rafikh Nagar, Baiganwadi, the Dumping Road area, etc. In such places, People mostly opt for a cheaper range of drugs. The most commonly used is codeine, otherwise known as cough syrup. Codeine is prominently used in healthcare and is usually misused by drug addicts. It is also cheaply available.
The Police Officer further adds that people residing in Shivaji Nagar, Mankhurd and Deonar areas are predominantly daily wage workers who are not paid adequately and always look forward to make a quick buck.
Notably, Drug peddling is easy money since there is a good demand. Some drug peddlers prefer to remain inside jail as long as get food twice a day for which they struggle outside.
Hence, to tackle the root problem it is essential to educate people to secure them with decent-paying jobs and keep them away from indulging in drug business.
As to achieve the ‘educate people’ goal, amid the awareness sessions in schools and colleges, officials encourage students to not to drop out and finish their education, which can help them find a well-paying job in the future.
On the drug consumers, Rajane asserts that in case they get caught, they end up getting bailed out and in no time, they are back to it. Therefore they need more de-addiction centers along with proper counselling in order to tackle the drug problem among consumers.
Just by arresting them, filing FIR means simply increasing the conviction rate. But for an wholesome solution, more NGOs or organisations should pitch in to deal with the root cause.
News Input K.V.Raman
