Newspapers Play a Key Role in Drug De-addiction Awareness

Udaipur: A Drug De-addiction Awareness Campaign was launched at the RCA Girls’ Hostel under the Drug-Free India initiative. Senior physician Dr. P. C. Jain, a member of the district committee of the Drug-Free India Campaign, addressed the hostel students and highlighted the crucial role newspapers are playing by publishing special reports to raise public awareness against substance abuse.

During the session, students read out prominent news articles related to drug de-addiction that had been published in newspapers and shared the key messages with fellow students, urging them to remain vigilant and informed.

RCA College Dean Dr. Manoj Malar introduced Dr. P. C. Jain to the audience and appealed to everyone to continue this awareness campaign on a sustained basis.

In his presentation, Dr. Jain demonstrated the amount of toxic residue released from cigarette smoke by showing the black deposits collected on a filter paper, explaining that similar toxins accumulate in the lungs of smokers. He discussed the comparative effects of various substances such as gutkha, tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis on the male and female body, emphasizing that due to physiological and psychological differences, the adverse effects of addiction are more severe in women.

Dr. Jain also spoke about the harmful impact of excessive screen time during pregnancy, citing examples where children born to such mothers showed delays in reading, writing, mathematical skills, and language development. He asked the students whether any mother would want such an outcome for her child, to which all responded negatively.

As part of the program, Dr. Jain demonstrated the use of a breath analyzer to detect alcohol consumption and conducted the “four-finger test” to identify tobacco use, actively involving the students.

The program concluded with a drug-de-addiction themed dance and song performance conveying a strong message against substance abuse. Hostel Warden Dr. Pooja Sharma requested that such awareness programs be organized regularly, while Assistant Warden Garima Chaudhary suggested conducting them every two to three months.

At the end of the event, Dr. P. C. Jain administered a pledge to all participants to abstain from drugs and to actively contribute to drug de-addiction efforts in society.

Students who actively participated in the awareness campaign and cultural performances included Laxita Chauhan, Parul Upadhyay, Payal Chaudhary, Pushpa Meena, Sachin Kumari, Anita Dhankar, and Munish Gurjar.