Chennai city fast becoming hub for drug users: Anbumani

Chennai, Nov 18 (UNI) Expressing concern that Chennai city was fast becoming a hub for drug-users, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today said the Tamil Nadu Government was working out a programme for distribution of safe needles to them to check spread of HIV/AIDS.

''Though distribution of needles is illegal, we are trying to work out the programme after sorting out legal issues involved in it,'' he told reporters on the sidelines of the 'Third International Inter-Faith Workshop on HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination.' The Union Minister said compensatory drugs would also be distributed to drug-users.

With a huge number of drug-users, Chennai had surpassed Chandigarh and stood next only to the north-east region, he said.

The menace was widespread among the youth, particularly those belonging to educated upper class section, Dr Ramadoss said and stressed the need to create awareness about the ill-effects of drugs.

He said the Centre had already launched a massive crackdown on drug-peddling and had sent circulars to state governments in this regard.

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