Srinagar, May 20: Jammu & Kashmir National Conference Member of the Parliament from Anantnag Justice (retd.) Hasnain Masoodi on Saturday called for an aggressive public awareness campaign against drug abuse and drug addiction by the administration and civil society groups. He also inaugurated a cricket tournament at Mattan.
On the occasion, Masoodi impressed upon the youth to take notice of the gravity of the challenge and make coordinated efforts to combat the menace.
Later in the day, he visited Mattan temple and Chattisinghpora Gurudwara. He was accompanied by Constituency In charges Ab Majeed Larmi, Reyaz Khan, party functionaries Mir Lateef, Altaf Ahmed, and Mushtaq Khanday.
Masoodi said that in order to combat this rising societal problem, multi-pronged rehabilitation, counselling and guidance policy is indispensable to be implemented on the ground to monitor drug abuse and take remedial measures to curb the menace. He also emphasised on conducting awareness campaigns on a mass scale against the drug menace to sensitize the youth about the hazards and ill effects of consuming drugs.
“It is the collective responsibility of all the sections of society to join this fight with determined efforts and proactive approach to bringing the youth of Shopian out of the darkness of drug addiction,” he said.
He said that sports can keep youth away from drugs and urged the authorities for a need to engage youth in sports activities. He enjoined upon the youth to get associated with sports activities regularly as it was vital for their mental and physical development.
Masoodi said sports activities are pivotal for channelising the energy of youth in a positive direction besides keeping them physically and mentally fit.