Pubdate: Wed, 06 Feb 2008
Source: Telegraph, The (India)
Copyright: 2008 The Telegraph
Contact:  http://www.telegraphindia.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2836

MARCH AGAINST DRUG ABUSE

Kokrajhar -- Feb. 5: Hundreds of women and schoolchildren 
from  different parts of
Kokrajhar town participated in a  rally on drug and alcohol abuse today.

Carrying placards and shouting slogans on the ill  effects of
substance abuse, they marched through the  streets of Kokrajhar.

The rally was held at the basic training centre,  Kokrajhar, and was
organised by the excise department  in association with All Bodo Women
Welfare Association  and Discovery Club. A debate was held later
followed by  a discussion on the issue.

Drug abuse, cigarette smoking, ganja intake, gutka  chewing and
inhaling adhesive substances like Dendrite  is on the rise among
school and college students  worldwide. The BTC areas, Gossiagaon,
Fakiragram and  Dotma are no exception. It not only has led to an
alarming droupout rate but ruined several families and  lives.

Expressing her concern, the president of Kokrajhar  district committee
of the All Bodo Women Welfare  Association, Nilima Basumatary, said,
"The consumption  of drugs by the youths needs to be checked." The
parents and teachers together need to fight this social  evil, she
said.

"Though cigarettes and gutkas are being sold in shops  in front of
schools, the administration is indifferent  to this. Besides ganja,
other drugs are also being sold  in many shops in and around Kokrajhar
and the buyers  are mostly the teenagers," a resident of the town said.

Dendrite was banned in Kokrajhar for a brief period  after youths were
found inhaling it. The addicts also  use shoe-polish to get a high.
Alcohol consumption in  eateries is a regular phenomenon and police
have failed  to crack down on the offenders.
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MAP posted-by: Steve Heath