Punjab need a mass movement to tackle drug abuse: Rahul

Bhatinda, Sep 23 (UNI) Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today expressed deep concern over prevalence of drug addiction, especially among the youngsters, in Punjab and stressed that a mass movement was needed to root out the menace.

Mr Gandhi, who was on the second day of his three-day tour of Punjab to strengthen and expand Youth Congress, today visited a state-run drug de-addiction Centre here to encourage the patients to shed the deadly habit and join the mainstream.

While interacting with about 25 inmates, most of them youngsters, Mr Gandhi stressed that the drug abuse not only ruins the health of the addict but also had a cascading adverse affect upon the family and the society as well.

Upon the complain of the doctors that in the last two years the centre had not been given the Rs 14 lakh grant due to it, Mr Gandhi assured them that the centre would soon be equipped be the best medical facilities and would be expanded from the present 25 bed capacity to 100 beds.

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