SHILLONG, Oct 6: Chairman of the Meghalaya State Health Advisory Board and Nongpoh MLA, Mayralborn Syiem, emphasized on Sunday that the fight against drug abuse must begin at the grassroots level — within every home, locality, village, and district — to effectively curb the problem.
“This is a concern we have to tackle collectively. It’s not something I or the Rangbah Shnong can do alone; it requires a joint effort from everyone, starting from my home, my village, and my community,” Syiem stated.
Alarmed by the growing drug problem in the state, Syiem said, “To be very frank, the menace of drugs is alarming, looking at the facts, figures, and its impact on society. It is on the rise, whether in East Khasi Hills or Ri-Bhoi district. In the last few days, we’ve had meetings with local authorities like the Rangbah Shnong, and awareness programs have been conducted at various levels.”
He stressed that everyone, including community leaders, religious leaders, the state government, and various social and pressure groups, must come together and present a united front in this fight.
It may be recalled that members of the Assembly were shocked to learn that Meghalaya now has approximately 3 lakh drug users, up from just 2 lakh last year. This startling figure was revealed by Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh during the autumn session of the Assembly.
It may be noted that to combat the growing crisis, the state government has introduced the Drug Reduction Elimination and Action Mission (DREAM).
