Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launches Drug-Free Uttarakhand Campaign; over 6,000 smugglers arrested and drugs worth ₹200 crore seized in 3 years to fight rising addiction.

A state-level initiative under the Drug-Free India Campaign, which was started in 2020 to address the rising drug misuse issue throughout India, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the Drug-Free Uttarakhand Campaign,

The chief minister stated during a ceremony on Tuesday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the nationwide campaign that more than 6,000 drug traffickers had been apprehended in Uttarakhand over the previous three years, and that drugs valued at Rs 200 crore had been recovered from them.

He also exhorted young people to refuse drugs with firmness and encourage their peers to follow suit. At the ceremony, the chief minister honored the winners of state-level speech and essay contests organized in schools and colleges and gave the state’s youth the pledge of the Drug-Free India Campaign.

“Addiction is a deadly trend,” he stated, adding that society is currently battling the debilitating issue with the help of prominent movement personalities. He continued by saying that drug abuse is spreading throughout the world like a “silent war,” with young people being its main target. “Addiction is not just a bad habit, but also a terrifying challenge that erodes society from within. This pernicious tendency destroys a person’s consciousness, discretion, and decision-making, leading to the destruction of their future.”

Dhami continued, “Youth are the true foundation of New India’s energy, innovation, strength, and progress. If this energy is entangled in any negative influence, the nation’s development will be hampered. This is why PM Modi launched this Campaign on Independence Day in 2020, calling on the entire nation to unite against this social evil and transforming it into a widespread mass movement. The state government is also working on mission mode to realise the resolve for a drug-free Uttarakhand under this campaign.”

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The three-tiered Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), which was established in 2022 to fight drug misuse, has caught more than 6,000 smugglers and recovered more than Rs 200 crore worth of drugs in the previous three years, he said.

In order to reduce drug misuse and reintegrate and rehabilitate addicts, he added, the government is bolstering de-addiction centers in all districts. Drug abusers can receive first-rate treatment, counseling, and rehabilitation services at the state’s four Integrated Rehabilitation Centers for abusers (IRCA).

AIIMS Rishikesh is also supporting the operation of an Addiction Treatment Facility (ATF) in the state. In every district of the state, educational institutions have established anti-drug committees, comprising principals, instructors, parents, and students as members.

According to the chief minister, this campaign also incorporates Aipan art, a proud aspect of Uttarakhand’s character. Aipan paintings with anti-drug messages now decorate public areas and educational institutions. In addition, Dagdiya (friends) clubs have been set up all around the state to prevent young people from doing drugs and to use their energy constructively.