Meghalaya Records 20% Decline in Drug Addiction Rate

SHILLONG: Meghalaya has achieved a notable 20% decrease in its drug addiction rate, something that has been credited to the proactive interventions of the state government, including the Drug Reduction Elimination & Action Mission (DREAM).

The government is determined to maintain this pace throughout the five-year life of the project, with focused efforts to stem substance abuse even further.

"DREAM has a whole-time Mission Director in the persona of FG Kharshiing. We have been actively following our objectives, engaging with professional health providers and civil societies," Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh declared at a press conference on Thursday.

Pointing out the effect of these initiatives, Lyngdoh pointed out that the rate of addiction had reduced by more than 20% in one and a half years because of different government initiatives like DREAM and the Centre's assistance to de-addiction centres.

He stressed that if the state manages to decrease addiction at this rate for the next five years, it would be a huge achievement in the war against substance abuse.

But the minister admitted a severe shortage of trained doctors who specialize in de-addiction. "There is a sense of general expectation that the government is not doing enough. We are not short of money or machinery, but we are short of trained people.

To operate de-addiction centers, you need experts. Some are of the view that it is sufficient to have infrastructure or local support, but without trained people, how can village authorities assist the addicts?" he observed.

To counter this, DREAM is looking into bringing in experts from other states. Lyngdoh revealed that Mission Director Francis Kharshiing had gone to Kerala, a state renowned for its highly trained de-addiction staff, to gauge the feasibility of recruiting experts from there.

Officials reiterated the state government's resolve to fight drug addiction through consistent interventions, cooperation with experts, and a strategic approach to filling gaps in medical expertise.

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