Workshop on drug abuse held

GUWAHATI, September 4: A two-day workshop titled ‘Enhancing Partnerships between Law Enforcement Agencies Health and Civil Society Organizations’ was organized by United tions Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in context of drug use and HIV in association with tiol AIDS Control Organization (CO) and Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) in Guwahati on September 2 and September 3, stated a press communiqué.

The meeting was attended by senior police officials from all the Northeastern states , officials from AIDS Control Societies of the Northeastern states,  CO, UNODC and other associations.

Welcoming  the  participants in the meeting ASACS Project Director Dhiraj Choudhury stressed on the preparation of a road map through which the departments concerned can work together against drug abuse and HIV.  Additiol Director General of Police  (CID) of Assam Mukesh Sahay in his speech said, “Drugs and crime are interrelated and drug abusers are both crimils and victims. Thus building partnerships with different stake holders is very important. Even community leaders must be taken on board.”

Secretary to the Govt of galand M Patton stressed on community meeting on how the drug abusers could be rehabilitated. Regiol Representative, UNODC Cristi Albertin said, “There are 246 million drug users and out of them 50 pc are injecting drug users. Drug users normally use prescriptive drugs. The problem is growing and we should all work together.”

Additiol Secretary, CO, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India vreet Singh Kang said, “There should be better understanding amongst the departments concerned and the law enforcement agencies. The drug users must be given access to all kinds of health facilities and social support.” He also stressed on conducting workshops at the grassroot level  so that the workers directly come in contact with the law enforcing agencies. Representative from Indian Drug Users Forum, Abu said, “ There are too many laws in the system. Some laws which are in favour of the drug users are not known to them. There is a need to relook into this issue.” Ranjan Dwivedi, DGP, Home Guards, UP in presentation said that every police station in the country must have an officer to deal with NGOs, CBOs to address various social issues.

Various state wise issues were dwelt upon during the presentations made by the representatives of the respective states and the workshop ended by preparation of some key strategies for the enhancing the partnership between civil society, health and the law enforcement agencies.

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