By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 14: As Meghalaya continues to fight the drug menace, Director of Drug Reduction, Elimination, and Action Mission (DREAM) Francis Kharshiing on Tuesday cautioned that heroin addiction remains the most prevalent and dangerous form of substance abuse in the state.
Speaking to media persons, Kharshiing said a significant number of drug users are dependent on heroin, describing it as the most harmful substance in circulation. He pointed out that the financial burden of addiction is severe, with users spending between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500 daily to sustain their habit. In some cases, he said the cost goes up to as much as Rs 10,000 per day due to rising prices.
According to him, intensified anti-drug operations by law enforcement agencies have reduced the supply of narcotics in Shillong. However, this has, in turn, driven up prices, compelling many users to resort to criminal activities or drug peddling to maintain their addiction.
DREAM has initiated a comprehensive rehabilitation approach by collaborating with Industrial Training Institutes (ITI), rehabilitation centres, and vocational training institutions to equip recovering addicts with practical skills.
“Our goal is to bring down relapse rates, which are currently as high as 70 to 80 per cent,” Kharshiing said, stressing the need for sustained intervention beyond medical treatment.
As part of this initiative, equipment worth over Rs 9 lakh, funded by the state government, has been distributed to four rehabilitation centres in Shillong. These resources will be used to train beneficiaries in trades such as plumbing, bakery, food processing, and electrical wiring.
The programme is being implemented in partnership with ITI Shillong, with training conducted within the rehabilitation centres to ensure accessibility for those undergoing treatment. The beneficiary institutions include New Hope (for both men and women), New Life De-addiction Centre (men), and Asha Bhavan.
Kharshiing noted that the initiative represents a shift towards a more holistic model of recovery—one that not only focuses on treatment but also on restoring dignity, promoting self-reliance, and enabling long-term reintegration into society.
He added that DREAM will also extend support to recovered individuals by helping them secure employment or start their own ventures after completing certified training programmes.
“It is more meaningful to invest in skill development than to allow individuals to relapse and increase the number of users,” he said, underscoring the importance of rehabilitation through empowerment.
