SHIMLA-23 March, 2025-Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla presided over the symposium on ‘Drug Menace and Sports Culture as a Mitigation Strategy organized by Shyamla Education and Social Welfare Trust, Shimla in Gaiety Theatre today.

Expressing deep concern about the safety of future generation, the Governor said that Drug addiction is destroying the talent of the youth and isolating them from the mainstream of society. Drug addiction destroys the abilities of a person, breaks families, and weakens the society. Every day children are losing their lives due to drug abuse.

Drugs not only affect the person but also have a negative impact on his family, society and future generations, he said. When a person falls prey to drugs, its effect is not limited to him only, but the entire family is affected mentally, economically and socially. Crime rate increases, health services are burdened, and the productivity of society decreases.

He said, “This fight is not just the responsibility of one person, but a shared responsibility of all of us. Parents, teachers, police administration, health department and every citizen have to be a part of this campaign. We need a collective resolve and strong will to eradicate this problem from its roots”.

He said that an intensive coordination of various departments is necessary to deal with this serious problem. Community participation in this campaign against drugs can be ensured by reaching out to schools, colleges, university campuses with special focus on the youth.

The Governor said that in an educated and developed area like Himachal, where the youth power has always been moving towards innovation, sports and nation-building, there should be no place for evils like drug addiction. He said that a public awareness movement was launched in Arki and Nalagarh of Solan and Hamirpur districts against drug abuse and to promote sports among the youth which was a great success.

“By implementing sports culture as a mitigation strategy, we can reduce the likelihood of drug abuse among young people, promote healthy lifestyles and behaviors, foster social connections and community engagement, provide positive role models and mentors, support mental health and well-being” said he.

The Governor released the report of survey conducted by the trust in Shimla which is an effort to know the menace of drugs and sports culture as a mitigation strategy. As recognition to the distinguished contribution towards awareness against drug abuse, nine persons were awarded by the Governor. He felicitated the efforts of the trust for organizing various programs and activities to raise awareness about the menace of drugs.

The Governor administered oath to raise awareness and promote the commitment to fight against the growing drug menace. He said that a new column has been added in the admission form of Himachal Pradesh University wherein the students have to commit that they will not use any kind of drugs.

Earlier, the President of Shyamla Education and Social Welfare Trust highlighted the activities being undertaken by the trust against drug abuse in Shimla.

Vice Chancellor of Central University Dharamshala and Himachal Pradesh University Prof. SP Bansal, Secretary of the Governor Chander Prakash Verma, Major Ritu Kalra, Vice President of the trust Suraj Jmalta and General Secretary of the trust Isha Sharma were also present on the occasion.