Free Press Anti-Drug Seminar In Bhopal Calls For Mass Movement Against Addiction

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Drug abuse has emerged as one of the major reasons of crime that can harm individuals, their families and society. This is what speakers said at the Stay Away From Drugs seminar organised by Free Press in Bhopal on Wednesday.

The programme was organised to generate wider awareness against drug abuse and recognise people working towards building a drug-free society.

Assembly speaker Narendra Singh Tomar was the chief guest at the function. Co-operatives, sports and youth welfare minister Vishvas Sarang, Vidya Bharati (Madhya Bharat) provincial secretary (organisation) Nikhilesh Maheshwari and ADG narcotics (STF, SAF and SISF) D Sreenivasa Varma were special guests.

Free Press executive editor Nitendra Sharma and director incharge Praveen Nagar were also present.

Drug abuse harm individuals, society & country: Narendra Singh Tomar

Addressing the gathering, Tomar said drug abuse was harmful to individuals, families, society and the country and had to be fought with the seriousness of a war. He said the increasing use of drugs had become a serious challenge.

Tomar said the spread of narcotics could also be viewed as a threat to Indian society and culture, as many of the substances being abused were not traditionally available in the country but entered India from outside.

He said women, children and young people played a major role in making the cleanliness campaign successful and a similar mass movement was needed against drugs.

Government alone cannot fight addiction: Sarang

Sports minister Sarang said drug addiction destroyed entire families and the government alone would not solve the problem. He called for collective participation and said children and young people needed to be made aware of the consequences of drug abuse.

Referring to the government's efforts to eliminate major security and social challenges, Sarang said the fight against drugs also required determination and sustained action.

He said the sports department was taking awareness programmes to neighbourhoods and colonies to ensure participation from all sections of society. We have to fight against drugs to build a better India, he added.

Fight against drugs must go beyond enforcement to build a drug-free India: Nikhilesh Maheshwari

Vidya Bharati's provincial secretary Maheshwari said the objective should not be limited to action against drug trafficking but should contribute to national resolve of achieving a drug-free India by 2029. He said addiction could lead to road accidents, broken families, crime and suffering among children.

Maheshwari said that families had the biggest responsibility in preventing children from taking up drugs. He said people should learn to deal with stress without using intoxicants as an escape.

2.47 crore people reached through anti-drug awareness programmes: D Sreenivasa Varma

ADG narcotics D Sreenivasa Varma said MP conducted 23,337 drug awareness programmes through which the anti-drug message reached 2.47 crore people directly.

The campaign's social media outreach reached 58 crore people, he said. Varma said MP Police had also stepped up enforcement against drug trafficking.

Till 2026, police had registered 2,706 cases and arrested 3,690 suspects in cases related to narcotics trafficking. In 2026, police also dismantled 12 clandestine laboratories involved in illegal manufacture of synthetic drugs in the state, he said.

We definitely don't want Udta Madhya Pradesh

Addressing the gathering, Free Press Executive Editor Nitendra Sharma highlighted the link between drug abuse and crime. He said drug addiction was a major reason behind crimes.

He stressed the need for greater awareness and public participation in fight against addiction. We definitely don't want Udta Madhya Pradesh, he said.