Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 08 2021: With a view to discuss about the ill effects of drug abuse and raise awareness against it, the Department of Social Welfare organised a 'one-day workshop programme on Substance Use and Welfare Scheme' at City Convention Centre, Palace Compound today.
Ngangom Uttam, Director of Department of Social Welfare; Professor RK Lenin, Head of Department of Psychiatry, RIMS and Padmashree Dr A Jayanta Kumar, Director of State Level Co-ordinating Agency (SLCA) attended the workshop programme as resource persons.
Delving into the topic "Substance Use and Youth", Dr RK Lenin said that use of intoxicant or drug abuse have far reaching ill implications regardless of age groups or genders.
Adolescence period in one's life is a very critical period and it is during this period that thorough idea of health education, skills and personality development and most importantly socialization should be inculcated, he said.
As curiosity and eagerness to learn new things grew during the period, adolescents are susceptible to various bad habits if they are not groomed and guided properly, he continued.
What is more disturbing is the detection of children around 8/9 years indulging in intoxicants and this disappointing development are greatly influenced by unsettling family condition; ill environment; rampant use of forms of intoxicants including, tobacco products and alcohol in front of children and encouragement of such substances during cultural and religious events etc, he said.
Tackling substance abuse in the State continues to remain a big concern either due to State's culture or plentiful availability of varieties of intoxicants owing to porous border stretches, he said while adding that peer pressure and curiosity among adolescents to explore intoxicants further complicate the matter.
The menace can never be eradicated unless parenting system in our society is amended and habits of consuming chewable and non-chewable tobacco products, alcohol openly are not restrained by all at the earliest, he said while calling on all families in the society, CSOs and Government to work collectively towards achieving a society free from drug menace and its implications.
As a part of the programme, Social Welfare Director Ngangom Uttam spoke on the topic "Drug Policy and Public Participation" as Dr A Jayanta Kumar stressed on the topic "Role of Youths and Local Clubs"