Patiala, June 25, 2021 (Yes Punjab News)
Due to their busy schedule, parents do not give proper time and care to their children, especially students of adolescent age and bad company has led many children astray. This fact has come to light during the counseling of drug victims youth by the DAPOs (Drug Abuse Prevention Officer) who is voluntarily contributing to the anti-drug campaign of the Punjab Government.
These Patiala DAPOs (Drug Abuse Prevention Officers) have been continuously contributing to the war on drugs waged by the Punjab Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
DAPO Tavanmeet Kaur, who has worked as a master trainer in Buddy program (A Program Started to Sensitise School Students Againat Drug Abuse) too, shared her experience that she came in contact with a 24-year-old graduate lad who was addicted to synthetic drug (Chitta), who couldn’t get the attention of his parents, due to their busy schedule and considered himself neglected.
She said that when he was counseled, he expressed his interest in bhangra. Keeping in view his interest and keep him busy, some children were sent to him to learn bhangra and at the same time his parents were asked to spend time with him. Today, he is pursuing his Master’s degree and has started a new life by repenting for drugs.
Another DAPO, Harjinder Singh, who counseled a 17-18 years old drug victim, who was sent to him for counseling by his parents, said that the young man had lost his confidence by indulging in drugs.
After counseling, the young man also agreed to shun drugs and made a fresh start by contacting a drug rehabilitation center. Harjinder Singh said the young man felt that no one wanted to help him, for which he was looking for drugs but now a days, his life has totally undergone a chnage.
Similarly, DAPO Ms Tanupreet Singh narrates another exemplry instance. She was introduced with a 26-year-old man, studying in an engineering institute in Patiala who was addicted to iodex, putty on walls etc. After counseling his parents and the youth, he was got admitted and treated at the Government Rajindra Hospital’s De-addiction Center and is now running his business very well.
Superintendent of Police, (Headquarters), Patiala, Dr. Simrat Kaur said that under the Punjab Government’s anti-drug campaign, as many as 27415 persons have got them registered in Patiala district as DAPOs, so far, who are playing a vital role in drug abuse prevention. She said that anyone can become a DAPO and these DAPOs monitor the community activities in their area for drug abuse prevention and connect them with drug de-addiction treatment centers.
SSP Dr Sandeep Garg said that with the Punjab Government’s Enforcement-De-Addiction-Prevention (EDP) approach, the ‘Comprehensive Action Against Drug Abuse’ (CADA) strategy has been implemented with a zero tolerance approach against drug addiction.
The active participation of all government departments as well as all sections of the society is being ensured for the prevention of drug abuse. He said that it was a great achievement for us when a single DAPO was able to reunite the drug victim youth around it with the society, by keeping him away from drugs.
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