Drug de-addiction centres in Lucknow, Gorakhpur soon

Lucknow, Jan 17 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered to set up 30-bed drug de-addiction centres in Lucknow and Gorakhpur. This is being done under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction Scheme.

The state government will provide free treatment and promote drug abuse results through rehabilitation centres.

According to the state prohibition officer, a 10-bed addiction treatment facility centres will be set up in government hospitals in other districts of UP along with 30-bed de-addiction centres in Lucknow and Gorakhpur.

In these centres, drug addiction along with treatment, educational awareness, identification and counselling will be undertaken.

An amount of more than Rs 6 crore has been provisioned for this scheme by the Government of India for the financial year 2020-21.

As many as 23 de-addiction centres are being operated in the state by non-government voluntary institutions funded by the Centre on behalf of the state Prohibition Department. These centres are providing free treatment to patients struggling with drug addiction.

These rehab centres in the state, till November 2020, have rehabilitated over 1,800 addicts and connected them with the mainstream of society.

After the construction of new de-addiction centres in Lucknow and Gorakhpur, the drug eradication programmes will gain a momentum.

Wide-scale awareness programmes including documentaries, sports competitions, rallies, seminars and exhibitions are also being organised in the state by the prohibition department for the eradication of intoxication.

Under these programmes, students and young people are motivated and made aware to get rid of the addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Over 300 sports competitions, 88 documentaries, 112 exhibitions, and 571 seminars have already been organised by the Prohibition Department and more than 1,000 students took part in educational and sports competitions.

( With inputs from IANS )