Thiruvananthpuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has cautioned against the attempts of the drug mafia to spoil the capability among the younger generations to react by luring them into substance abuse and asked parents and teachers to keep vigil.

Inaugurating the Kerala State Abstinence Mission - 'Vimukthi' here on Sunday, he said drug mafias were getting stronger in many places, and they were mainly targeting students. In one Indian state, 47 percent people were supposed to be addicts, affecting the responsiveness of that society.

“Parents should find time to interact with children and teachers should be able to identify any behavioural change in students. Educational institutions should be able to check the presence of drug traffickers near campuses,” he said.

Highlighting the effect of abstinence through awareness, which is the aim of Vimukthi, he said the number of smokers had come down drastically over these years, due to massive awareness. He said that drug and tobacco seizures in the state had increased manifold over the last decade.

Excise minister T. P. Ramakrishnan said as part of Vimukthi the existing de-addiction centres would be strengthened and new de-addiction centres would be opened in all districts and specialised de-addiction centres would be set up in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.

He also said that awareness programmes would be carried out till grassroots level with the help of organisations like residents associations and Ayalkoottam.
Cultural programmes would also be organised to create awareness against drug and liquor abuse, he said.

Additional chief secretary (taxes) P. Marapandiyan said on the occasion that cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is the goodwill ambassador of Vimukthi, would be attending another event to be organised. Though the government tried for his participation in the inaugural event, it did not materialise.

Mayor V. K. Prasanth delivered a pledge to students against drug and liquor abuse on the occasion. Health minister K. K. Shailaja Teacher, excise commissioner Rishi Raj Singh and councillor D. B. Binu attended the event which was also marked by cultural programmes.