Jammu, 06 August 2025 | As part of the ongoing IEC Campaign against the menace of “Drug Abuse” launched by District Administration Jammu, the AntiDrugand Rehabilitation Cell/NCORD Committee of GDC Sidhra, under the able guidance of the worthy Principal of the college, Prof. Seema Mir, organized an awareness programme on Drug Abuse Under J&K Nasha Mukt Abhiyan with an aim to disseminate information regarding drug abuse, its causes, repercussions, and prevention.
The event, hosted by Prof. Deepa Kak, Convener of the Anti-Drug and Rehabilitation Cell, commenced with a formal welcome address by Dr. Sunil Kumar Bhat, Head of the Department of Chemistry. This was followed by Prof. Deepa Kak’s brief introduction on the pressing issue of drug abuse. Resource persons from different government departments were part of the event to raise awareness among students and the community about this alarming issue.
As a token of gratitude, all the dignitaries were presented with planters by the faculty members of the college. To begin with, Dr. Monika Gupta, Medical Officer from the Health Department, delivered a comprehensive lecture on the various components of drug abuse, like prescription medicine (morphine, benzodiazepines) or illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and synthetic drugs.
She narrated the whole mechanism of the drugs that affect the brain’s reward system, altering mood, perception, and behavior, and emphasized that with the repeated use of these drugs, the brain’s chemistry changes, making the user dependent on the substance for pleasure and comfort.
Moving ahead, the second resource person, Mr. Nisar Ahmed Wani, PSI from the Police Department, deliberated on the criminal activities induced by drug abuse and informed the students about various helpline numbers like 14446 for information about rehabilitation centres, 181 toll-free number for women helpline, and 1098 for Child Helpline, etc.
The next resource person was Ms Meher-Ul-Nissa from the Social Welfare Department, who discussed the role of the Social Welfare Department in combating Drug Abuse. She narrated some of the live incidents of the drug abusers who eventually associated themselves with criminal activities. This further led to social isolation, broken families, economic burden, and violence.
The fourth resource person was Mr. Gourav Sharma, Teacher, GPS Malhori Jagir, who deliberated on the remedial measures to combat this menace. He highlighted that prevention is better than cure, and therefore, community effort is required on the part of every department to eradicate this evil from society.
The final resource person for the event, Mr. Rakesh Verma, Teacher at PM Shri GGHSS Khanna Chargal, delivered an engaging address in Dogri, captivating the audience with his eloquence. He emphasized the importance of self-control, personal responsibility, and sustained awareness as essential tools in the fight against drug abuse.
His culturally resonant delivery not only connected deeply with the audience but also reinforced the message in a manner that was both relatable and impactful. The event concluded with the participants taking a solemn pledge to stand united against drug abuse.
The event concluded with a formal Vote of Thanks delivered by Prof. Shonima Malhotra, who also recited her self-composed poem on the theme. The poem was warmly received and greatly enjoyed by the audience, adding a creative and heartfelt touch to the proceedings. The programme was organized by the NCORD/Anti-Drug and Rehabilitation Cell with active support and coordination of all committee members under the able guidance of the worthy Principal of the College. The programme was attended by students, representatives from different departments, and faculty members of the college.
