Ranchi: The state department of women, child development, and social security on Tuesday designed a ‘state action plan’ to tackle substance abuse for approval from the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment.Earlier in the day addressing workshop on ‘Reimagining Prevention and Drug Demand Reduction in India’, department secretary Uma Shankar Singh said, “Tackling addiction requires a sustained people’s movement rather than superficial drives. Our success must not be measured by the number of activities conducted, but by how many people we are able to protect from substance abuse and how positively we are able to transform their lives.”He urged govt departments, Panchayati Raj institutions, local bodies, and local communities to collaborate closely, ensuring prevention becomes a shared social responsibility and an integral part of grassroots development.Calling for active mobilisation of self-help groups, sahiyas, anganwadi workers, and youth organisations as frontline partners for early identification, counselling, and prevention of drug abuse, social welfare director Kiran Kumari Pasi said, “The greatest strength in the fight against substance abuse lies in our society, families, and communities.”
