Port Blair, Oct. 6: The Department of Social Welfare has initiated a campaign to create awareness on ‘Ill Effects of Alcohol & Drug Abuse’ involving A&N Police, Health and Education Department. Accordingly, a tentative calendar of activities for students of class IX to XII of different schools has been finalized. The awareness campaign was initiated from Government Model Senior Secondary School, Port Blair today. More than 100 students including teachers and staff attended the programme.

The resource persons viz. Shri  Thyagarajan and Shri  Yousuf from Health Deptt., Shri Soman Kumar Halder, S.I, from Police Deptt., Shri A.K. Biswas, Nodal Officer (Prohibition) from Social Welfare Deptt., highlighted the issues and problems of drugs among the youth and apprised the students and teachers to join the campaign, towards making Andaman & Nicobar Islands ‘Drug Free’ and also stated that the issue of alcohol & drug abuse is becoming a major health hazard and social evil in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. To overcome this issue, it is required to create awareness and educate students about the ill effects of alcohol & drug abuse on an individual, family, workplace and society at large.

Earlier, Smt. (Dr.) Pushpavalli from Govt. Model Senior Secondary School, in her welcome address, expressed her happiness for organizing such awareness programme, a press release from Nodal Officer (Prohibition) said.