People at ward level to be mobilized against drugs Mohali: None of the 5,000 drug abuse prevention officers (DAPOs) registered with the local administration has admitted a single drug addict to the nearest Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centre in eight months.The project was launched with much fanfare by Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on nartyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh , Rajguru and Sukhdev on March 23 at Khatkar Kalan in Punjab. The aim was to engage government employees and local citizens in the fight against drugs.The administrative machinery succeeded in engaging DAPO volunteers but failed to motivate them to identify and admit drug addicts from their respective areas to nearest rehabilitation centres.When deputy commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra was asked to share the number of drug addicts identified and admitted to rehabilitation or OOAT centres by the DAPOs, she replied, “We do not have any such data. We have a record of 5,000 DAPOs registered with us, but none has given a report of admitting any drug addict to rehabilitation or OOAT centre.” On remedial measure being taken so that DAPOs must identify and admit drug addicts to rehabilitation centres, Sapra said, “We will be holding meetings with nodal officers and DAPOs to study the problem, so that we can assist them and enable them for the success of the initiative.”She said DAPO and “Buddy Programme” will be carried out in an efficient manner by making out a detailed outline to make the district drug-free.The DC said that instructions have been issued to all the SDMs to prepare a calendar during the month of November for the training of all Cluster Coordinator Monitoring Committees and DAPO by master trainers, so that the training programme can be carried out in an efficient manner. She also directed for chalking out a strategy to make the people aware about bad consequences of drugs at ward levels in rural and urban areas.The DC said the nodal officers appointed for the DAPO programme in the district, additional deputy commissioner-Charandev Singh Mann and the nodal officer appointed by the police-SP (H) Gursewak Singh Brar would hold meetings in this regard at the sub-divisional level, so that the DAPO and Buddy programme's activities can be carried out in the district in a more useful manner. The DC also directed to put up the Buddy activities on WhatsApp groups which are being carried out in educational institutions. She said now Buddy groups would be addressed by the gazetted officers against the drugs.Additional deputy commissioner Charandev Singh Mann said that the treatment of drug addicts is being done free of cost in the drug-de-addiction center and rehabilitation center in sector-66, Mohali . OOAT Center's too provide free treatment without getting the patient admitted, he said.

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