Over the last month or so, there has been massive debate over the use of drugs in India. While the current discussion appears to have begun in the wake of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, it has since been amplified by a slew of events.
From Rhea Chakraborty being arrested by the Narcotics Bureau to actor Kangana Ranaut speaking on several occasions about the use of drugs in the film industry -- it has started massive discussions about substance abuse. Amid this, the Press Information Bureau, and indeed, the government as a whole, has struck a cautionary note.
"Drugs are not the answers to your failures and mental health issues. Those who fight the failures with courage, are the real winners! Together, let's make a drug-free India," the PIB tweeted on Tuesday, sharing a video to emphasise the message.
But this is not the first such post. Earlier, on August 25, the PIB had tweeted the same video, and the Nasha Mukht Bharat Campaign was officially launched on 15th August 2020. This will run for seven months till 31st March 2021. The Nasha Mukt Bharat: Annual Action Plan (2020-21) for 272 Most Affected Districts was e-launched at the end of June.
The government impetus for achieving a drug-free India is also visible in the financial allocation for this - it rose from Rs. 43 crore in 2017 to Rs. 260 crore in 2020.
More recently, on Tuesday, drugs and the film industry also became a topic of discussion in the Parliament. During the zero hour in the Rajya Sabha, Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan had launched a veiled attack on actor turned politician Ravi Kishan for stating that "drug addiction is in the film industry."
"It is a matter of concern that drug addiction is in the film industry too. It is really sad to see that the stars who are seen as the role model and are influencing people are also into drug addiction," Kishan had said. He had also lauded the Narcotics Control Bureau for their "good" work in apprehending several people in this matter.
