Targeted
Interventions
Drug and Substance abuse is one of the major problems affecting children and youth in school and out of school/college. This problem impacts negatively on the academic, social, psychological, economical and physiological development among the abusers. It is seen that drug and substance among the youth are influenced by literacy level, peer pressure, curiosity or urge to experimentation, availability of drugs and substance etc. The vulnerability of injecting drug users (IDUs) to get coinfected with HIV/AIDS, due to sharing of needles and syringes and risky sexual behaviour makes the problem of drug abuse even more serious.
Awareness and Preventive Education addresses specific and vulnerable target groups in communities, educational institutions, workplace, slums and youth groups with the purpose of sensitizing them about the impact of addiction, and the need to take professional help. Parents/teachers are sensitized at regular intervals to develop skills to understand the psychology of the youth and to help them keep away from substance abuse. The high-risk groups like commercial sex workers, mobile population like tourists and truck drivers, children of alcoholics and drug addicts, children of HIV affected parents, street children, prisoners and school dropouts, are specifically addressed. Awareness generation among school going children in the age group 11 – 18 years is a priority.