GUWAHATI:
Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) Dr LR Bishnoi, on October 11, said that drug abuse has assumed a critical dimension in the state.
Addressing a special session on ‘Drug Abuse – A Deadly Menace’ at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong, Bishnoi spoke about the perils and challenges of drug abuse and the pivotal role being played by the Meghalaya Police in tackling the same.
Sharing his view on drug abuse, Bishnoi said, “Drug abuse is not an individual, but a social problem. It not only ruins multiple families but also society. It is a critical issue that the country is facing and all sections of the society must strive to curb this menace and find sustainable solutions to tackle it.”
Bishnoi also discussed the main aspects of drug abuse and its consequences in personal as well as social life.
While urging the gathering to cooperate with the police as well as civil administration to curb the menace, he said, “Meghalaya being near the golden triangle, an opium-producing area of South East Asia comprising parts of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, is more susceptible to the menace of drug abuse due to the easy availability of drugs.”
“The menace of drug abuse is prevalent not only in urban but also the rural areas and we are on a mission to spread awareness on the dangers of drug abuse to the remotest of corners,” he stated.
Meghalaya has approximate 2.5 lakh drug users including injectable drugs and psychotropic substance users. Drug addicts in India account for 7.3 crores where 1.2 crores are children between the age group of 11-18 years. Out of these, 55 lakh are women.
“Looking at the present drug trafficking scenario in the state, due to the close proximity to the golden triangle, Meghalaya has become a major transit point for drug trafficking and this has put authorities on a very high alert to tackle the menace,” he added.
The DGP also gave a detailed presentation on the prominent drug trafficking routes in the state and the modus operandi commonly used for the trafficking of drugs.
In his address, IIM Shillong director Prof DP Goyal appreciated the initiative of the Meghalaya Police to tackle the issue of drug abuse.
Goyal, while emphasising on the need for society and institutions to cooperate with legal authorities, said, “I am grateful to Dr Bishnoi that he took out his time to address such a sensitive issue. It has become the need of the hour for not only the government and the police but also for the educational institutions to primarily focus on educating the youngsters on the dangers of drug abuse and the legal repercussions of the same.”
