College students take out a rally against substance abuse
Over 300 students and faculty of colleges in the city participated in a special programme to observe International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking organised by the Department of Psychiatry, K.A.P.V. Government Medical College in association with the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital, on Thursday.
The activities included a rally from the Collector's office to the medical college auditorium, and awareness lectures for students, centred on this year's theme 'Breaking the Chains! Prevention, Treatment and Recovery for All'.
Tiruchi District Collector V. Saravanan administered an oath against the use of narcotics and other addictive substances to the gathering and flagged off the rally. S. Kumaravel, Dean, K.A.P.V. Government Medical College, likened addiction to a whirlpool that could pull people in without their knowledge.
'We have to learn to say 'no' to drugs. The brain is the main generator of all ideas and can be trained to stay balanced. Beyond substance abuse, we are facing a major challenge with addiction to chewing tobacco, electronic devices, and internet overuse,' he said.
MGMGH medical superintendent Udhaya Aruna urged the students to stay alert for behavioural changes among their peers and advised them to seek medical attention at the earliest.
A. Niranjana Devi, professor, Department of Psychiatry, spoke.
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