Chandigarh: The Punjab Government has introduced an evidence-based prevention curriculum in state schools under the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ initiative, aiming to address critical misconceptions surrounding drug use before experimentation begins. Developed in collaboration with the Center for Effective Global Action at UC Berkeley and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, the program targets dangerous beliefs regarding substance dependency, peer pressure, and the biological nature of addiction. State Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh affirmed that the campaign seeks to shift the focus of anti-drug efforts toward early prevention by informing students about the risks associated with initial drug exposure.
The curriculum directly challenges widespread myths, including the notion that single-use experimentation with synthetic drugs is harmless or that recovery from chemical dependence requires only personal willpower. Educators at participating institutions, including the School of Eminence in Amritsar, declared that the structured modules provide students with a scientific understanding of how addictive substances affect the brain alongside practical skills to handle peer pressure. Officials maintained that by debunking false assumptions about prescription drugs, alcohol, and tobacco early on, the program aims to protect young people from entering pathways to addiction.
