In a major step toward curbing drug abuse across Kolkata and West Bengal, the department of Psychiatric Social Work-Institute of Psychiatry (IPGME&R–SSKM Hospital), in partnership with the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), ministry of social justice and empowerment, has rolled out a series of intensive capacity-building programmes targeting hotspots of drug-peddling and abuse.
The initiative, comprising six workshops held across Kolkata and other districts, brought together over 600 participants from diverse sectors—four times the initial target of 150. Attendees included police personnel, correctional home officers, educators, mental health professionals, and community leaders. The programmes focused on early intervention, legal frameworks, rehabilitation strategies, and stigma reduction, aiming to build a grassroots response to the state’s rising substance use concerns. Mr Mayank Kumar, assistant professor at the department of psychiatric social work under SSKM Institute of Psychiatry, stated that these efforts are intended not just to raise awareness but to build sustainable teams capable of running localised anti-drug campaigns. “The approach is holistic,” he said, “linking medical, psychological, and social responses with law enforcement and education.” Experts from premier institutions such as NIMHANS, TISS, CIP Ranchi, IHBAS Delhi, and OP Jindal Global University contributed to the sessions. Their presentations shed light on the neurological and emotional dimensions of addiction, particularly among vulnerable groups like adolescents, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and economically marginalised communities.
Advertisement
Senior state officials, including West Bengal’s director of health services Dr Swapan Saren, Barrackpore police commissioner Ajay Kumar Thakur, and joint director of medical education Prof Dr Kaushik Kar, participated in the sessions. Their presence underscored growing recognition at the policy level of the need for collaborative, community-based responses to drug misuse.
The programme also ventured beyond lecture halls. At institutions such as the WB Police Academy and Dum Dum Central Correctional Home, interactive methods—including street theatre, peer-led discussions, and participatory skits—were used to engage participants. One standout performance, Nahi Nahi Bhoy, staged by Janhabi Sanskritik Chakra, depicted the socio-economic spiral that often leads individuals into substance use. Participants received hands-on training in building drug-free environments at workplaces and in neighbourhoods, with a strong emphasis on inclusive reintegration strategies and harm reduction over punitive measures. The programme concluded with recommendations for nationwide replication and the integration of de-addiction services in hospitals and correctional home facilities across the state. Organisers also called for ongoing monitoring of rehabilitation centres and greater involvement of mental health professionals in policymaking.