DRUGS BIGGEST ENEMY OF MANKIND

KATHMANDU, June 26: Drugs and HIV/AIDS are the two sides of the same
coin, which bring social discrepancy in the society, said speakers at
a programme Tuesday.

They shared the view at an interaction held today to mark the
"International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

They concurred that drugs were the biggest enemies of mankind, which
eventually become stumbling blocks for the development of any nation.

Haribansha Kedar said alcoholism among youths is a universal problem
and there should be peer pressure among youths about the consequence
of taking drugs.

"We have to reach out to the communities with a message of culture of
peace to raise awareness against drugs," he said.

Deputy Director of Russian Center of Science and Culture Rajiv Dawadi
said more than two hundred million youths are the victims of drug
abuse in the world. There should be a strong legal procedure,
education, employment, mass media, rehabilitation center and family
rituals to control the youths from abusing drugs in the society.

Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Chabilal Biswokarma said
though the nation had been able to achieve peace to some extent,
still a lot remained to be done to attain sustainable peace.

He said the opportunity provided by the present time should be
utilized to its maximum with the use of foresight to provide rights
to the people who fought for democracy.

He stressed on maximising the available resources to achieve a high
growth rate in the agriculture sector.

During the programme, Minister Biswokarma also released a book
"UNESCO Udyaya" published by National Federation of UNESCO.

Professor Dr. Dambar Bir Thapa said The UNESCO message against the
existing social anomalies should be spread to all homes across Nepal.