IT News
Imphal, Apr 9:
As many as 90 rehabilitation centers have applied for opening of rehabilitation centres for substance users in the state. Already the state government had opened a De-addiction Centre at Sunusiphai in Bishnupur district. This center called ‘Anouba Mangal’ is the first state-run de-addiction centre in Manipur on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking in 2022. Another de-addiction or rehabilitation center especially for the user transgender community is in the pipeline and will be opening in PPP model.
This was stated by Ng. Uttam, Director of the Social Welfare Department Government of Manipur during interaction hours with media persons at Hotel Sangai Continental, Conference Hall here in Imphal yesterday. The interaction programme was held after a sensitization workshop for journalists in connection with the demand reduction of narcotic substances organised jointly by the Editor Guild Manipur and the Department of Social Welfare, Government of Manipur. EGM President Kh. Khogendro, Psychiatrist Dr. Lenin, Social Welfare Director Ng. Uttam and General Secretary of SASO RK Tiken as a resource person.
Social Welfare Minister Heikham Dingo, inaugurated the sensitization programme that is being organised to reach the goal of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s War on Drugs mission.
Social Welfare Director Ng. Uttam said that the government is an effort from all angles to reduce drug demands, drug supply, and harm reduction methods. On a question on whether the Department of Social Welfare has authenticated the size of various substance abusers, the Director said that Manipur has already prepared a drug policy and a portion of conducting a survey for substance abusers has been included. Regarding the opening of a separate de-addiction cum rehabilitation centre for women, Uttam said that the government has already provided assistance to some especially open for women only. But he also said that the rehabilitation part is not 100% successful as in the case of girls or women due to the high nature of the conservative Manipuri Society.
General Secretary of SASO RK Tiken while sharing his experience as drug user and as educator to prevent youth from indulging in drug use, said that we need to train more people on how to handle and control the youths from using drugs. Saying so he said that policing and mob culture and discriminatory attitude to the user community is not the solution.
Dr. Lenin head of department of the Psychiatry department RIMS, while talking as a resource person emphasised the need for building good rapport among children and their parents and also with their elder family members. He said that parents as well as guardians need to understand the changing world scenario. He said that the advancement of communication technology has somewhat kept busy their children and the parents hardly get time to look at their children. The Psychiatrist was talking about the maximum use of cell phones by children these days. He however said that banning them from using cell phones where they can learn many things will be wrong but monitoring them while using their cell phone is much. He said that children should not be treated for their mere mistakes that may force them to take up extreme behaviour like choosing to take up drugs either by themselves or from the influence of his or her company.
