Northwest district of Delhi Police conducts month-long drug de-addiction campaign

Under its month-long drug de-addiction campaign, the northwest district of Delhi Police admitted 20 people to rehabilitation centres, of whom three have "fully recovered" and been discharged, officials said on Saturday.

These three "fully recovered" men are now creating awareness and helping police personnel in motivating addicted people to go to rehabilitation centres with an aim to eradicate the menace of drugs from the society, they said.

Under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the northwest district initiated the month-long drug de-addiction campaign wherein it identified and counselled people often caught with drugs and those booked under the NDPS Act, they said.

In the past one month, more than 12 people were arrested with illicit drugs while 18 others were arrested under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act. Over 430 people have been booked under the COTPA this year, police officials said.

Many of these offenders are young boys from financially weaker backgrounds, they said.

"Such people were counselled to stay at the rehab centres for a few months. Among the 20 such people who were admitted, three of them have been discharged while several others are undergoing therapy. We are seeing a change in people and this will help us make our area drug free," a senior police officer said.

"We wanted to work towards a drug-free society. When we analysed our district, we found that though there aren't many gangs operating here but there are many individuals who are peddling and consuming drugs. We started with awareness drives and invited college students and NGOs to hold nukkad nataks," said Usha Rangnani, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest).

District police teams have been working with rehab centres and skill training centres to create awareness, provide medical help and jobs to the youth, she said. 

(Image: PTI)