The state government has rolled out a novel initiative that aims to tackle the problem of drugs at the root, starting with school children from as early as Class 2.
Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh, in a press conference held today, announced that schools across Meghalaya will now nominate one teacher each to undergo a specialised one-month counselling course at the Sanker Centre for Neurology and Mental Health. Post-training, these teachers will serve as in-house counsellors, guiding and mentoring students, particularly from Classes 2 to 5, to stay away from substance abuse.
“The course fee is Rs 10,000, of which the state government will subsidise 50 percent,” Lyngdoh said. He emphasised that the initiative is part of the broader DREAM Mission strategy on drug rehabilitation, which has recently partnered with Sanker to implement this child-focused preventive approach.
“The idea is to catch them young,” said DREAM Mission Director Francis Kharshiing, who joined Lyngdoh at the briefing. “We believe that shaping young minds early will be a game-changer in the fight against drug addiction.”
Kharshiing added that while the programme is voluntary, consultations with the Directorate of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) and visits to schools in vulnerable areas like Mawlai revealed a strong interest among school heads. “Principals unanimously support the idea of having at least one trained counsellor in every school,” he said, adding that many schools lack resources to hire full-time counsellors. This initiative helps bridge that gap.
One hundred teachers will be trained in the first phase over a 10-month period, with the possibility of expanding training capacity through Sanker.
The government’s strategy is part of a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to curb substance abuse in Meghalaya, which, Lyngdoh touted, has already shown results. “Addiction rates have dropped by 20 percent,” he said, though he cautioned against complacency.
The minister further mentioned other efforts the government is taking like collaborations with faith-based institutions, community leaders, youth groups and NGOs. Engagement with the Meghalaya Users Forum and grassroots organisations to reduce stigma and raise legal awareness. Vocational training at centres like New Hope Deaddiction Centre, Don Bosco, ITIs, and MMSSDS in areas such as plumbing, welding, food processing, photography, and mobile repair. A soon-to-be-launched state-wide drug abuse survey in partnership with the UNODC to map high-risk zones will also be carried out. Deployment of narcotic scanning vehicles, the first of which is en route, and training of sniffer dogs is expected to be operational in six months.
Another key aspect of the strategy is community intelligence. Village Defence Parties (VDPs), which were previously limited in number, have now seen a surge in applications. “Before DREAM, we had only 11 VDPs in Shillong. We expect that number to double soon,” Lyngdoh said.
“In the cantonment zone, often outside the state’s direct reach, the CEO of the Cantonment Board is working with local dorbar shnongs to install CCTV cameras in areas like Jhalupara, which has a significant migrant population,” Lyngdoh added.
The Catholic Church has also agreed to set up new rehabilitation centres, including one soon to be operational in Ri-Bhoi.
