Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat on Thursday called upon citizens, particularly the youth, to become active partners in building a drug-free and happier Visakhapatnam, saying that social awareness and collective responsibility were as important as law enforcement in tackling the menace of narcotic drugs.

He was addressing an anti-drug awareness walkathon organised by the district administration from Kali Mata Temple to YMCA on Beach Road as part of the nationwide ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Saptah’, being observed from June 17 to 26 under the theme ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan – Viksit Bharat Ki Pehchaan’.

Mr. Sribharat said drug addiction had emerged as one of the major challenges confronting young people. Besides stringent action against traffickers, society should promote positive values, healthy lifestyles and meaningful engagement among youth to prevent addiction. Stress, loneliness and a lack of purpose often pushed individuals towards substance abuse, he observed, urging youngsters to cultivate good friendships and stay away from negative influences. He appealed to every young person to positively influence at least 10 others and contribute to creating a healthy, drug-free and happy city.

District Collector M. Abhishikth Kishore said drug abuse was affecting not only individuals but also families and society at large. Referring to his recent visit to the Central Jail, he said the presence of a significant number of inmates in drug-related cases reflected the seriousness of the problem. He noted that youth and people from tribal areas were particularly vulnerable and said that the administration had reached out to lakhs of people through awareness programmes over the past fortnight. He urged citizens to treat the fight against drugs as a people’s movement.

Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi said coordinated efforts by the government, police and the public had led to a significant decline in drug-related cases in the city over the past two years. However, there was no room for complacency, he said, urging people to report information on drug trafficking, storage or consumption through the Eagle helpline (1972), emergency number 112 or 79950 95799, while assuring complete confidentiality.

Students, youth, volunteers and representatives of voluntary organisations participated in the walkathon, raised anti-drug slogans and took a pledge to remain drug-free and spread awareness in the community.