Nationwide Awareness Drive to Combat Substance Abuse Starts August

The government has announced a 100‑week national awareness campaign against narcotics, scheduled to kick off on August 2. The programme will operate simultaneously at over 10,000 venues, targeting a potential audience of more than one crore youths. Activities will include sports tournaments, cultural performances, and educational workshops designed to curb the use and illegal trade of cannabis, heroin, opium, charas, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), methamphetamine (ice), prescription pills, codeine‑laced cough syrup and other psychotropic substances.