mid day editorial: We must all join the fight against addiction

Following the diktat of Commissioner of Police Subodh Jaiswal, around 200 paan-beedi shops around schools and colleges in the city have been demolished by the police with the BMC's help. These paan-beedi shops spanned the stretch from Bandra to Andheri. Since the drive began on January 10, drugs worth Rs 49 lakh have already been seized, a report in this paper stated.

A top police official has said that paan-beedi shops play a major part in addiction because students begin with tobacco products and cigarettes and then gradually take to drugs. A teacher, too, said she has seen a manifold increase in these shops. Hence, the order to demolish the ones around schools and colleges.

It is important that these shops be demolished, as most of them continue to flourish despite Supreme Court guidelines. It is not just the cops but the community that must come together to combat the drug menace. Locals can be the eyes and ears of the cops, reporting (in strict anonymity) if they see a shop sprouting in the vicinity. Educate yourself about the warning signs of drug abuse so that you can recognise if a young family member is in danger.

Teachers are a pivotal resource in this fight against drugs. Interactive sessions by senior police officials in educational institutions must be well-attended. Educational heads should insist on mandatory attendance. The teachers, too, can keep a watch out for these tobacco shops.

We must also warn against the familiar and enervating 'boomerang' effect where structures that have been razed somehow crop up again, negating all the work done before and giving rise to cynicism amongst the public. The fight against addiction needs unity of effort and great will. Let us show that strength and ability to stay the course together.

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