Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 30:
With the primary objective of combating HIV/AIDS and prevent youngsters from indulging in drugs, members of the newly formed Users Society for Effective Response (USER), Manipur have spelled out their plans and programmes to combat spread of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse.
Having experienced the harmful effects of drug abuse, 'We don't want to the youths, who are the future pillars of the society to get drowned in the menace of drugs and now we are committed to prevent them from doing so', said Jogesh Maibam, secretary of USER Manipur.
Addressing a press conference her today, Jogesh informed that though the society was set up in July this year, it has now a whooping 500 members drawn from across the State and the same has enough manpower to take up the intervention and prevention measures.
Some of the members are undergoing substitute therapy under the guidelines of World Health Organisation, he added.
'We are planning to spread awareness among the youngsters to make them stay away from harmful drugs to ensure them to lice in a drug free society', he said.
Since the society is also mulling over preventing trafficking in of drugs from outside the State, Jogesh also appealed to all the civil organisations to lend their helping hands in the endeavour.
Lamenting that the drug users are being treated inhumanely even to the extend of bashing them up and tonsuring their heads, he asserted that these unwanted action will never stop any individual from stopping from abusing drugs.
'Being members of the human society, we are also ready to join the people's movement for the cause of our land', Jogesh said.
Basanta, chairperson of the technical response team of USER, Manipur said the voices of the society and its members to combat the menace of drug abuse should be perceived as a new development on the eve of World AIDS Day.