Kripa centre opened in Guwahati as drug abuse increases

Guwahati, May 30 (UNI) After the past decades' emphasis on educating people on drug abuse and its consequences, focus has shifted to de-addiction and rehabilitation of those affected.

With an objective to help chemically dependant people of the state, leading country-wide NGO Kripa Foundation today formally inaugurated their Guwahati centre.

Project director Rabiul Islam, talking to reporters here, said abuse of prescription or pharmaceutical drugs was rampant even in remote parts of the state.

Recalling Kripa's association with the North East, Mr Islam said the first Kripa centre in NE was opened at Imphal in 1990.

He said, ''The HIV/AIDS patients in Manipur were put into isolation in prison cells and even chained. We worked to sensitize the people on the disease. We have come a long way since.'' While stating that the stigma related to drug abuse has decreased considerably and more addicts were coming for treatment now, he said much was yet to be achieved.

Besides the centres at Imphal and now Guwahati, Kripa has centres in Shillong and Kohima in the NE, and another would be opened in Mizoram shortly.

Centre manager Deepak Sahneey said the Kripa centres concentrated on 'whole person recovery'.

Emphasis is put on de-addiction, rehabilitation and after-care.

Proposal to set up vocational training centres for those undergoing treatment was also on the cards, he added.

The Kripa Foundation was set up on August 15, 1981, in Mt Carmel Church compound in Mumbai and currently has centres in over 13 states. It has treated around 20,000 chemically dependent people.

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