Although the state police are doing all they can to combat the issue of drug addiction and supply in the state, the problem is a multi-dimensional one that requires the full support of society if it is to be tackled successfully.
This was stated by West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Vivekanand Singh Rathore.
The dynamics of the drug trade and consumption vary from place to place in Meghalaya but the goal of police remains the same – to disrupt the supply of drugs, catch drug dealers, prevent smuggling and stop people getting into drugs in the first place.
“There is a clear cut direction from the government, police headquarters and the DGP (Director General of Police) that we cannot tolerate drugs in society, so we are going all out against consumption and the trade in drugs,” Rathore said. “One part of the initiative is to detect the supply of drugs and this is done on a regular basis based on inputs. Simultaneously, we are running awareness programmes in schools and colleges, so, in the long run, we think both actions combined will have good results.”
However, parents and society at large have to be more vigilant, the SP added. “If a child is consuming drugs then they will have to accept it and take immediate action. If that is not done, it will not matter how many drugs we seize. There are different varieties of drugs, from tablets and capsules to even a simple cough syrup, so it is a multi-dimensional problem.”
Contrasting the situation between opposite ends of the state, Rathore said that East Jaintia Hills, which is close to Mizoram, Tripura and Assam’s Barak Valley, is a transit district for drugs, though there is a problem of addiction as well. West Garo Hills, on the other hand, sees a lower volume of drugs entering the district, mainly in small packets for local consumption or for smuggling into Bangladesh.
“The dynamics are totally different and the problem of drugs is much lower here than in eastern parts of the state,” he said.
