The International Day Against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking or World Drug Day, observed on 26 June is doubly important for BREADS, because of its Drug Rehabilitation Education and Mentoring (DREAM) initiative. Drug Rehabilitation Education and Mentoring (DREAM) is a rights-based initiative of Bangalore Province to prevent drug abuse and other addictions among children and youth in 10 Districts of Kerala.

Drug abuse, especially among the children and youth is a complex issue requiring the concerted efforts of multiple stakeholders in society: the youngsters themselves, parents, educational institutions and their staff, the Government, Police, NGOs, Fatih Based Organisations and civil society in general. DREAM works with all these stakeholders through awareness creation, advocacy, counselling, rehabilitation services, surveys and researches.

The theme for World Drug Day 2023, “People First: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthen Prevention”, is a call to promote a more inclusive and supportive approach towards people who use drugs, while also strengthening prevention efforts. Towards this goal, all the DREAM centres in the ten Districts of the State of Kerala conducted a plethora of events and activities in various locations, involving all members of the society. They collaborated creatively with educational institutions, Government Departments, Faith Based Organisations, and other agencies to create awareness about drug abuse through public meetings, rallies, lectures, group discussions, competitions/exhibitions, street plays, musicals, and flash mobs. People took oaths, recited poems, quizzed, danced, mimed and marched to spread the word about preventing drug abuse in their communities. As the word spreads, and the solidarity and support for the vulnerable young grows, BREADS hopes that the young people in Kerala will be able to dream beyond drugs.

Fr. George PS

Executive Director, BREADS

To know more about this initiative, contact dr***@br*************.org .