the goan I network
OLD GOA
The Goa Police in association with NGO Human Touch organized a drug abuse awareness campaign at Our Lady of Merces HS, Merces for the students of Stds 8, 9 and 10 on Saturday.
Speaking at the function, main speaker Dr Rajesh Patil, Head of Department, Emergency Medicine and Trauma, explained how children get a taste of alcohol very early in their life in Goa.
“In Goa, children get the taste of alcohol in their home as parents use alcohol as treatment to different types of ailments,” Patil explained, while also stating that the children are also influenced by their parents drinking at homes or at parties and weddings.
“Earlier, the youth would get addicted to alcohol at the age of around 18-19 years but now it is seen that the age has drastically dropped to 12-13 years, and the lifestyle of parents is the major influence on such children,” Dr Patil explained. “First, it is alcohol, then they turn to cigarettes and ultimately to drug abuse,” he further added. Dr Patil later explained various problems arising out of addiction to alcohol, drugs and tobacco like damage to liver, bad effects on brain, gastro intestinal problems, cancers, sexual dysfunction, etc.
He urged teachers to play a proactive role in identifying drug abusers and reporting the same to higher authorities so that corrective measures could be initiated immediately.
“For rehabilitation of an addict, a team approach is needed wherein the family, doctor, employer and individual play a collective role,” Dr Patil opined while concluding that addiction is a progressive, ambition killer disease and the society has to help an addict come out of it.
North Goa SP Chandan Choudhary, Peter Borges of Human Touch also spoke at the event. Headmaster John Fernandes welcomed the gathering while SP Choudary proposed the vote of thanks.
DySP Uttam Raut Dessai, Old Goa PI Jivba Dalvi and others were present.
Multi-pronged approach for war on drugs: North SP
OLD GOA: North Goa SP Chandan Choudhary has stated that a multi-pronged approach of education, sensitization, awareness along with prosecution is needed if the war on drugs has to be won.
SP Choudhary was speaking to the media on the sidelines of an awareness programme on drugs abuse at Our Lady of Merces HS, Merces.
“Till the time that prosecution and awareness do not go hand in hand, there will be a void created and it is important to fill this void. It is important to educate the young masses. If there are no consumers, there will be no drug suppliers,” she stated.
“It is important to have these types of awareness programmes for youngsters. Lots of teenagers are getting into drugs and alcohol abuse which must be nipped in the bud. It is very important for social institutions, police, schools to educate kids about the ill effects of drugs,” SP Choudhary appealed.
On the increasing number of cases related to drugs in the State, SP Choudhary said cases have increased because there is an effective prosecution.
“We have ensured drugs are caught and people selling or keeping or cultivating drugs are caught and prosecuted. As police machinery, we have a legal mandate to prosecute the offenders of drugs.”
“We have registered many cases in the past. In 2018, we registered around 90 cases under NDPS in which we seized huge amounts of drugs. We also arrested many foreign nationals who were growing drugs in their premises. In 2019, we have registered around 40 cases thus far,” she added.
