Chennai, August 11
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday led a State-level mass anti-drug pledge in Chennai, urging young people to take the lead in the campaign against narcotics and help build a drug-free Tamil Nadu.
Addressing students and other participants at a city college, Vijay said tackling drug abuse and trafficking required sustained collective action by the government, families, educational institutions and society. He appealed to students to remain alert to attempts to draw them into drug use and encourage their friends and peers to stay away from addictive substances.
The Chief Minister administered an anti-drug pledge in which participants committed themselves to avoiding narcotics, spreading awareness about the dangers of addiction and supporting efforts to eliminate illegal drugs from the State.
The pledge also stressed protecting families and communities from the impact of substance abuse, helping those struggling with addiction access rehabilitation and cooperating with government agencies in the fight against narcotics.
The campaign was extended across the State through the Drug-Free Tamil Nadu portal, where a large number of people took an e-pledge, an official said.
The government has strengthened its enforcement mechanism by establishing a specialised Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), with district-level units focusing on intelligence gathering and action against drug trafficking networks.
Authorities have also introduced the Drug-Free Tamil Nadu App, enabling students and teachers to anonymously report suspected drug sale and distribution in and around educational institutions.
Alongside enforcement, the government is focusing on prevention and community participation. Youth volunteer groups have been trained to promote safer environments around schools and conduct peer-to-peer awareness campaigns.
Tuesday’s programme highlighted the government’s emphasis on combining stringent enforcement with prevention, rehabilitation and public participation, with students and young people expected to play a central role in achieving the goal of a drug-free Tamil Nadu.
