Staff Reporter,
Guwahati, August 31: The International Overdose Awareness Day is organised today at the premises of the NERIM Group of Institutions in Guwahati. The event was organised by the State Anti-Drug and Prohibition Council in collaboration with Drug Rehabilitation Centres of Assam to spread awareness on problems arising from the consumption of narcotics. Assam Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Water Resources, Information & Public Relations, Printing & Stationery, Social Justice and Empowerment, Pijush Hazarika attended the event as chief guest along with other dignitaries. During his lecture Hazarika said that the Overdose of drugs and drug addiction can ruin not only the individuals, but also affect their families. According to official figures, about 2,300 people have died of drug overdose in our country from 2017 to 2019. The minister said about 70 of those who died were children aged between 14 years and 18 years. “There is nothing more unbearable for parents than seeing their children die of drug addiction,” Hazarika said. “The government will always take a tough stance against illegal drugs and we must all be vigilant to protect future generations from these harmful substances,” he added. It may be mentioned that International Overdose Awareness Day has been recognized since 2001 to raise awareness of the impact of overdose, remember those who have died, and acknowledge the grief of those who have lost their loved ones to overdose. In the United States, we have lost more than 110,000 friends, family members, and neighbors to overdose—just over the last year. The theme for this year’s International Overdose Awareness Day is “recognizing those people who go unseen.”
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