Drug addicts getting treatment at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla will no longer be kept with mentally ill patients, Health and Family Welfare, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dhani Ram Shandil said on Tuesday.
"Our government is considering building a separate de-addiction centre for women in the state as the number is increasing every day", the minister said.
He was speaking at the launch of the trailer for The White Truth, a web series against drug abuse under the Yuva Bachao Abhiyan by Himachal Gyan Vigyan Samiti. Shandil warned that strict action would be taken against any de-addiction centres found involved in the drug trade.
He assured that drug addicts at IGMC would not be kept with mentally ill patients.
The seven-episode web series tells the stories of people who fell into drug addiction, aiming to raise awareness about the role society can play in fighting drug abuse. Produced by TFT Production, the series will be available on the Gyan Vigyan Samiti YouTube channel.
Shandil said the state government had enforced strict laws to curb the drug trade in the state and the public was actively supporting the anti-drug campaign.
Pankaj, who had recovered from his addiction, shared his experience. He said he had used chitta for six years after being addicted to cannabis for 14 years.
Many times, he tried to quit but failed, and 14 of his friends who used drugs with him had died.
His family stood by him and got him treated at IGMC. “If my family members were not with me, I would not have been able to overcome addiction," he said.
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