Mangaluru to highlight drug abuse effects

Mangaluru: Akhila Karnataka Janajagruthi Vedike's units in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Programme, Mangaluru taluk, and Karnataka State Temperance Board will observe International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Saturday.
The day is observed annually on June 26 to raise awareness of drug abuse.
Muhammad Ismail, president of the vedike, said drug abuse is emerging as a major problem in the world and the problem is closer home now. Quoting statistics from a survey carried out by the UN, Ismail said youth in the age-group of 14 to 22 years are the ones who are increasingly trying out drugs and this is disconcerting. Six out of every 10 deaths are attributed to substance abuse - be it alcohol or smoking, he said.
To address this, Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, under the guidance of its dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade, hasorganized more than 700 programmes, reaching out to 2 lakh-odd students, Ismail said. The vedike has also trained 784 resource people to convey the message to the stakeholders in an effective manner, he said.
U T Khader, minister for food and civil supplies and consumer affairs, is scheduled to inaugurate the state-level celebration and the jatha thereafter from the Town Hall, the venue of the function, to the office of deputy commissioner on Saturday, he said. M R Rangaswamaiah, chairman of Karnataka State Temperance Board, will preside over the function.