Drugs-free Kerala campaign second phase from November 14

The second phase of the narcotics-free Kerala campaign will be held from November 14 to January 26.

A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Wednesday decided to organise a campaign in sync with the Football World Cup fever that seems to have gripped the State.

The campaign will be organised to score two-crore goals across the State. Goal posts will be set up in public places where anyone can try and score goals in their own time. All local self-governments, schools, government and private offices, IT parks, bus stands and public places will sport these goal posts, bearing the message ‘Say No to Drugs’.

As part of the campaign, celebrity football matches and goal challenges will be held at workplaces and educational institutions.

Deaddiction centres

The Chief Minister insisted at the meeting that the Social Justice department ensure that there were adequate number of deaddiction centres where a substance addict could be treated with full confidentiality. He also suggested that counselling services in schools be intensified and that adequate number of counsellors be deployed.

The local bodies should ensure that all shops displayed the message that no narcotic substances were sold there. The phone numbers to pass on any information regarding the sale or use of narcotic substances should be displayed.

The Jana Jagratha Samitis or people’s anti-drug vigilance committees should meet once every three months and discuss all aspects of the anti-narcotics campaign and pass on the report to the State.

Mr. Vijayan directed that the various programmes being conducted by different departments be coordinated as public events.

The week from December 4 to 10 would be observed as Human Rights week. Anti-narcotic awareness programmes should be organised by Kudumbashree units, clubs and other regional groups. On December 10, educational institutions should organise various programmes, with the involvement of National Service Scheme, National Cadet Corps and the local bodies. Class assemblies should be held on January 26, 2023.

The meeting decided to plan the activities for June 26, 2023, the Anti-Narcotics day, after January 26. Several members of the Cabinet and senior officials attended the meeting.