Citizens share their ideas to tackle drug menace ahead of Mann Ki Baat Programme

Arnab Nandy (Kolkata West Bengal): 2. Make Treatment Available on Request Like Any Other Health Service: Making treatment services widely available undermines the drug market and reduces the harms from drug abuse. Treatment needs to be defined broadly to not only include abstinence-based treatment but also easier access to methadone and other alternative maintenance drugs. 3. Prevent Drug Abuse By Investing in Indian Youth and Providing Them with Accurate Information: The most effective way to prevent adolescent drug abuse is to invest in youth and keep them interested and involved in life. Government should increase funding for after school programs, mentor programs, skills building/job training programs and summer job programs.

Ankush Mishra (Allahabad Uttar Pradesh): 1. More responsibility on part of medical retailers and stores to sell syringes 2.Selling of certain medical drugs on only on the prescription of doctor 3.Advertisement on TV, Radio 4.strict surveillance 5.Psychiatrist counselling of drug patients 6. Usage of models like Narconon like in US, Mexico 7. Let rehabilitated patients share their experience of how to fight & quit drugs.

Prakash Sharma (Kolkata West Bengal): Drugs Have Several Categories and Definition.Need to RE-DEFINE our Laws for all these categories.People take drugs in several situations and when there is demand there is supply.So we need to Eradicate the Demand Side first and simultaneously we should find the ways to eradicate the Supply Side. Middle East Countries have Stricter Laws.Various Medicine Components ( Chemicals Mix ) acts as Drugs to Many.Need to re-define Laws pertaining Chemical Usage and Distribution in INDIA.

Sudhakar Pathak (Kestopur West Bengal): Dear PM sir .. This article is about the anti-drug ad campaign. The phrase “Just Say No” first emerged when Nancy Reagan was visiting Longfellow Elementary School in Oakland, California, in 1982 and was asked by a schoolgirl what to do if she was offered drugs. The first lady responded by saying, “Just say no”. Just Say No club organizations within schools and school-run anti-drug programs soon became common, in which young people make pacts not to experiment with drugs I want this in india

Narayana Prasad: The govt should provide helpline for children who wish to complain about peddlers/friends who are likely drug addicted, anonymously without having to go to police station and reveal identity. The special force should keep in mind that they should track the peddler without the knowledge of the addict and peddler and track and catch and immediately take legal action

Kishan Vasekar: Suggested steps..1.Group of parents /volunteers to be trained across the cities and empowered to interact with Govt, police etc.2.Thse volunteers along with expert group to identify and help young drug addicts.3.Drug abuse can be eliminated if the supplies are totally cut off.Separate machinery to be set up..Youngsters to be trained in Yoga , Meditation and celebrities who have come out of such problems or wish to contribute .I am 61 and ready to volunteer.Dhanywad

Sunil Anand (New Delhi Delhi (NCT)): ECHO India is working with NIMHANS, Bangalore for treating drug addiction and mental illnesses. NIMHANS-ECHO (www.nimhans.kar.nic.in/deaddiction/VKN_brochure.PDF) uses technology to get patients, in rural and under served areas, treatment of their addiction by their local doctors at the patients place of residence. ECHO model moves knowledge and not patients to deliver healthcare .NIMHANS runs this program very successfully and now has upto 40 clinicians logged in at a time to treat patients.

Prahalad Rajagopalan Palakkad (Kerala): Sir, in my home state of Kerala there are two very good initiatives of the Government of Kerala. One is ‘Clean Campus – Safe Campus’ campaign launched jointly by Home and Education Departments to wean the students and youngsters away from the influence of drugs and substance abuse. This initiative is being implemented through the School Vigilance Committees and Student Police Cadets. The brand ambassador of this Initiative is film star Mammootty. The second one is ‘Addicted to Life’, a social-media, anti-drug campaign aimed at creating awareness about the menace of drug and alcohol addiction lauched by the Government of Kerala with the backing of the Excise Department and the Kerala State Beverages Corporation. This initiative was also a huge success.

Raghunandan KV: Understand Combat Methamphetamine Act (CMEA) from US. Learn how they tackle drugs menace. Prescription drugs are abused. Learn how USA controls prescription drugs. Drug diversion is a big issue. Over prescribing by MDs. Narcotics bureau must be efficient ethical and corruption free. They should not harass businesses. Only then drugs menace will be eradicated. If govt depts do not have integrity in what they do, problems will not be solved. Narcotics dept must be clean and must mean business. Learn

Abhishek Pareek (Ajmer Rajasthan): आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री जी नशा मुक्त भारत के सूझाव स्वीकारने हेतू ,धन्यवाद ,महोदय जी राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर नशेडी व नशे के सौदागरो के बारे मे नागरिक सरकार को सूचित कर सके इस हेतू एक. कॉल सेंटर स्थापित किया जाना चाहिये तथा झोला झाप डा. और अन्य कोई भी व्यक्ती जो नशे का प्रचार प्रत्यक्ष या अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से कर रहे है उनको गैर जमानती दण्ड दिया जाना चाहिये !

Ajith Shankar (Thuckalay Tamil Nadu): for medical drugs addiction on the counter availability of addictive drugs in medical shops has to be stopped… without doctors prescription these drugs should not be given.. although the rules in India says so practically no pharmacy follows this.. also a prescription should have a time limit.. many patients use prescriptions that where given even before 5 yrs to buy drugs now… this situation has to be changed.. pharmacies promoting this attitude should be stripped off licence

Prabhat Chand (Bangalore Karnataka): Addiction is a serious public health concern. There is a lack of trained service providers both for prevention and treatment. Centre for Addiction Medicine, NIMHANS Bangalore, believes that the best answer lies in capacity-building through use of modern technology. NIMHANS ECHO, has initiated a free “virtual” knowledge-network based interactive training program with the objective of transferring the skills, wisdom and knowledge to health professionals/counselors in this area. vlc.nimhac.ac.in

Girish Bhamre (Ahmedabad Gujarat): Solutions 1.Administrative measures for effective implementation of laws. 2. Set up periodical mandatory medical check up for drug intake at colleges and companies. 3. Identify vulnerable groups and educate them. 4. Include drug abuse related topics in school curriculum at appropriate age. 5. Build more rehabilitation centres and create support groups like Alcoholic anonymous. 6.Special helpline for drug abuse victims. 7. Use of media role models to promote awareness.

Gaurav Harish (New Delhi Delhi (NCT)): a STF should be made consisting of former drug addicts , Current drug addicts( who are struggling to lose this habit ) & state level govt officials should be made to first identify the source of drugs, identify the peer group that is encouraging drug addiction. making drug addicts realize that there are better ways to lead a life than do drugs

Rekha Prahalad (Hyderabad Telangana): I feel the Government as well as private bodies should tackle this on war footing like it is done for Aids or any other infectious disease as I feel it is spreading like wild fire. we start from grass root level:- identify the drug abuser(rehab) –> family (counseling)—>locality and neighborhood (vigil and alertness)–> by this point will reach the supplier who is supplying for money nab them. by using all the government tools and mechanization and strict law we can all wipe out this menace

Tarun Kumar (Pune Maharashtra): Regional Sports or Activity: Lack of physical activities is the prime reason. Regional organizations which are into Sports or regional activities like Gatkha in Punjab, Kerela Martial arts should be promoted.made. Such clubs for children/youth, which will involve them to churn their energy in doing good to their body and keep a natural check on their addiction. On similar lines we should have sport bodies for National competitions in school/colleges to instill positive spirit in the youth,

Shruthy VS (Parippally Kerala): Sir,first of all we need to create awareness about the dangers of drug addiction ,through mass media and public campaigns.second and most important is DEADDICTION PROGRAMME involving medical psychological intervention to stop this menance.Along with campaigns projecting the dangers of drug addiction we can give a national toll free number giving sugessions and list of deaddiction centers in the callers locality.before doing this we need trained personnels at the primary health centre to aiims..

Ram Prasad (Bangalore Karnataka): Seek help from NGO’s and Doctors/counselors Formulate self-help groups who can contribute at block level, city level, state and national level. PM to give a call to the nation for self-declaration of drug addiction. Establish a help line. People can give a missed call to this line and government officials /police special force to go to the caller, register his name in confidentiality and issue a pardon note