Not just peddlers, drug abusers will face legal action: Kalaburagi City Police Commissioner
Drug abusers, and not just peddlers, will now face legal action as Kalaburagi police steps up its campaign against narcotic drugs, City Police Commissioner S.D
Drug abusers, and not just peddlers, will now face legal action as Kalaburagi police steps up its campaign against narcotic drugs, City Police Commissioner S.D. Sharanappa said on Saturday. He said more than 700 persons have been booked in narcotics-related cases in Kalaburagi during the last three years, warning that those found consuming narcotic substances would also be prosecuted in accordance with the law. Calling upon young people to play an active role in creating a drug-free society, Mr. Sharanappa urged students to stay away from substance abuse as well as the misuse of digital technology and become ambassadors of the anti-drug movement. “The police alone cannot eliminate the drug menace and all educational institutions, communities and the public should actively support the police and government in their campaign for a drug-free society,” the Police Commissioner said. The officer was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the ‘Addiction-Free Day’ programme organised on the birth anniversary of Sri Mahanta Shivayogi at Government Pre-University College, Adarsh Nagar, in Kalaburagi.
The programme was jointly organised by the district administration, zilla panchayat, Department of Information and Public Relations, Health Department, Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Karnataka State Temperance Board and the college. Sharanappa said the Police Department has launched ‘Operation RISE’ (Refuse, Inform, Support and Eliminate) and the ‘Beda Bro’ awareness campaign to make Karnataka, and Kalaburagi in particular, free from narcotic drugs. Describing Shivayogi as not only a spiritual leader but also a social reformer, he said the seer had fought against the harmful effects of addictions on individuals, families and society. His message continues to be highly relevant in the present context, he added. Expressing concern over the growing addiction to mobile phones, social media and OTT platforms, which he termed “digital toxicity”, Mr. Sharanappa said excessive dependence on digital platforms was adversely affecting students’ academic performance. He urged youngsters to avoid tobacco, alcohol and narcotic substances and channel their energy towards building a better future for themselves and the nation.
He said the police are following a three-pronged strategy of prevention, detection and rehabilitation to combat drug abuse and appealed to every student to become an ambassador for a drug-free society. Delivering a special lecture, Prabhu Kiran, psychiatrist at GIMS, said adolescence and youth are the most crucial stages for brain development and that addictions acquired during this period could permanently damage a person’s future. He explained that smoking, alcohol and drug use often begin out of curiosity or for fun but gradually take control of a person’s life. “When addicts are unable to finance their habit, many are pushed towards crimes such as theft,” he said. Kiran said mobile gaming, social media and drugs temporarily increase dopamine levels in the brain, creating artificial pleasure that encourages shortcuts in life while distancing young people from studies and productive work. He advised those struggling with addiction not to suffer in silence but to seek help from parents, teachers, counsellors or mental health professionals, emphasising that seeking help is never a sign of weakness.
The BriefWire