Garhshankar:- Red Cross Integrated Rehabilitation Center for Drug Victims Nawanshahr organized an anti-drug awareness camp under the "Drug-Free India Campaign" at Government High School and Primary School, Village Garhi Matton (Hoshiarpur) on 19th November 2025. This camp was presided over by Shri Dildar Singh (Headmaster).
On this occasion, Sardar Chaman Singh (Project Director) while addressing the students said that first of all, while telling about the establishment of Red Cross, he said that Red Cross organization works for social welfare without any discrimination in the world.
He informed about today's anti-drug awareness camp that while the Indian government and the Punjab government are working in different ways to make the country drug-free, the Indian Red Cross Punjab State Branch, Chandigarh, with the support of the Ministry of Social Justice, Government of India, is making efforts to make the youth drug-free. He gave detailed information to the students about the ill effects of drugs and also shared points about staying away from it. He told the students that children should believe in working hard to reach their destination and not adopt any wrong path.
He told the students that children, in ignorance, get tempted by their elders and start using drugs, which later becomes very difficult to give up. He also mentioned about the diseases caused by drug use and said that viruses like black jaundice and HIV have affected the youth, which are very dangerous. The fabric of society is being disrupted by drug use, and there is economic distress and people are falling victim to mental illnesses.
He explained to the children that you should not succumb to anyone's temptation and take any kind of drug like tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, heroin, etc. Our life is a precious gift, it has to be protected from drugs. He said that mental health is also necessary to fulfill dreams. Because people who use drugs become mentally ill. They cannot fulfill their dreams.
He also said that to get rid of drugs, we should start it from our own home. If any family member uses drugs, then they should be made aware of its deadly effects. He explained in detail about the launch of this campaign on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Drug-Free India Campaign that this campaign was launched on 15 August 2020. This scheme was implemented in 272 districts of India.
The main objective of this scheme is to stop the supply of drugs and to make people more aware of drugs and to get the people suffering from drugs treated by the health department. Under this campaign, the students and the staff members present took a pledge under this campaign that we will all come together and make our family and friends drug free as well as ourselves drug free because the change should start from ourselves and we will make our state drug free.
On this occasion, Mr. Dildar Singh (Headmaster) made the students aware against drugs and thanked the Red Cross team and said that our staff and students will also contribute to the Drug Free India Campaign and the War on Drugs. On this occasion, Mr. Parjinder Singh (Teacher) conducted the stage well and appealed to the students to stay away from drugs.
He assured that anti-drug awareness camps will continue in the future as well. Parvesh Kumar, school staff members Ramandeep, Sunita Devi, Ranjana Rani, Gurdeep Kaur, Inderjit Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Aganwadi workers, primary school staff members and students were present on this occasion.