Mothers to lead the fight against drug abuse in Punjab

To mobilise the support of women, especially mothers, in fight against drug menace, the Punjab Lit Foundation initiated ‘Mothers Against Drugs’ campaign in Hoshiarpur today. The campaign is supported by the district administration and the police.

The Punjab Lit Foundation was reaching out to MLAs, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendents of Police across the state, urging them to adopt and promote this initiative within their jurisdiction.

The campaign aims to hold workshops across the state, offering practical guidance to women on how to identify shifts in the behaviour of their children, address concerns early on and create a supportive home environment. With drug addiction cases commonly emerging between the ages of 14 and 24, the foundation encourages vigilance, particularly among women with children aged between 13 and 18.

Designed to mobilise and empower Punjab mothers to play an active role in safeguarding their children from falling prey to drug abuse, the campaign is spearheaded by author and former State Information Commissioner Khushwant Singh, along with Sanna Kaushal, Media Advisor to the National Commission for Women (NCW).

The inaugural event was held in Community Centre of Bullowal village, on the Hoshiarpur-Tanda road, where a large number of women participated in training and motivational session to recognise the early signs of substance abuse and intervene effectively.

“This is just the beginning,” said Khushwant Singh. “We want this campaign to grow into a mass movement that spreads across the state, making every mother in Punjab a soldier in the fight against drugs. We’ve funded the project ourselves so far, but we hope others will join us in this critical mission,” he added.

Sanna Kaushal highlighting the programme’s state-wide goals, said, “Our mission is to educate and empower mothers throughout Punjab to be proactive in this fight against drug addiction. We’ll be organising more events to ensure that every mother in the state has access to the knowledge and tools needed to protect her children. Mothers can work as the first line of defence against addiction”. Gaurav Gill, a Delhi-based body language expert, apprised the participants on how to recognise drug addiction.