Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thawarchand Gehlot seeks civil society help in curbing drug menace
The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Mr Thaawarchand Gehlot, said that drug abuse and illicit trafficking could not be contained alone by the government unless people participated in drug awareness campaigns. He was speaking on the occasion of “International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.”
The Minister also praised the efforts of individuals and NGOs working in the field of prevention of drug abuse and informed that his Ministry provides community-based services for identification, treatment and rehabilitation of addicts through voluntary organisations.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal ministry for drug demand reduction. It coordinates and monitors all aspects of drug abuse prevention which include assessment of the extent of the problem, preventive action, treatment and rehabilitation of addicts, dissemination of information and public awareness. The Ministry provides community-based services for the identification, treatment and rehabilitation of addicts through voluntary organisations. The Ministry also provides financial assistance to approximately 400 NGOs across the country for running de-addiction centres and has set up a 24 x 7 National Toll Free drug de-addiction helpline number to help victims of drug abuse, their family and society at large.