MARCH AGAINST DRUG ABUSE

Kokrajhar -- Feb. 5: Hundreds of women and schoolchildren
from different parts of
Kokrajhar town participated in a rally on drug and alcohol abuse today.

Carrying placards and shouting slogans on the ill effects of
substance abuse, they marched through the streets of Kokrajhar.

The rally was held at the basic training centre, Kokrajhar, and was
organised by the excise department in association with All Bodo Women
Welfare Association and Discovery Club. A debate was held later
followed by a discussion on the issue.

Drug abuse, cigarette smoking, ganja intake, gutka chewing and
inhaling adhesive substances like Dendrite is on the rise among
school and college students worldwide. The BTC areas, Gossiagaon,
Fakiragram and Dotma are no exception. It not only has led to an
alarming droupout rate but ruined several families and lives.

Expressing her concern, the president of Kokrajhar district committee
of the All Bodo Women Welfare Association, Nilima Basumatary, said,
"The consumption of drugs by the youths needs to be checked." The
parents and teachers together need to fight this social evil, she
said.

"Though cigarettes and gutkas are being sold in shops in front of
schools, the administration is indifferent to this. Besides ganja,
other drugs are also being sold in many shops in and around Kokrajhar
and the buyers are mostly the teenagers," a resident of the town said.

Dendrite was banned in Kokrajhar for a brief period after youths were
found inhaling it. The addicts also use shoe-polish to get a high.
Alcohol consumption in eateries is a regular phenomenon and police
have failed to crack down on the offenders.