CHENNAI: In an effort to spread awareness against the use of drugs — a practice believed to be prevalent in North Chennai — CONCERN, a not-for-profit wing of Asha Nivas, organised a human chain on Monday. To enable locals to take the message seriously, more than a 1,000 school children and women from different localities in the northern parts of the city were roped in to spread the word against drugs.“It is commonly known that drug peddlers are situated more in North Chennai than in other parts of the city. The usage of drugs, common among boys in the teens and college-goers, is also said to be at a higher rate here,” said Lilly Josephine, chief community development office, CONCERN. "Though there is no empirical evidence to suggest the same, it can be inferred as the Narcotics Control Bureau too, employ our services in the previous years to rehabilitate several drug sellers in North Chennai, especially in Sivarajapuram in Pulianthope," she added.CONCERN has been holding counseling sessions and awareness classes for schools students in the locality to spread awareness about the ill-effects of drug-usage. “This is because the usage of drugs is most common among teenagers and young adults, who say they opted for it because they were depressed with life or did not have any employment. Apart from damaging health, the usage of drugs also forces some youngsters to indulge in theft in order to procure them,” she explained. The human chain was organised to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed on June 26.
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