UAF Organises Awareness Session On Drug Abuse

An awareness session on drug abuse was held at the New Senate Hall, the University of Agriculture Faisalabad on Wednesday. It was arranged by UAF Senior Tutor Office in collaboration with Rotary Club. Speakers at the seminar cautioned about increasing tobacco usage, resulting in the death of over 0.15 million people annually due to smoking-related diseases in Pakistan.Chairing the session UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf called for enhancing efforts to eliminate drug addiction from the society. He said teachers and students should take the responsibility of changing the behaviour of drug addicts to keep them away from these life-taking intakes.

He expressed his concern about the increasing use of Shisha among youngsters who were using it without knowing the dangers associated with it. “In shisha, tobacco is served to people mixed with certain flavours and its smoke have hundreds of potentially dangerous substances, including nicotine, charcoal, arsenic, cobalt, chromium and others, “ he added.

Ashraf said the majority of addicts start drugs for the sake of recreation which later led to this anti-social habit and eventually the body demanded its frequent use.

Senior Tutor Dr Athar Javed stressed upon the need to promote healthy activities in the youth to fight the challenge. He said university had taken tangible steps to eradicate the menace from the campus. He said smoking and sale of cigarette was strictly banned in the campus.

Public Health Specialist Dr Noor Ul Zaman Rafiq said drug addiction was among those social evils of the society that needs urgent attention. He said drug addiction not only affected the addicts but also affected their family who suffered from severe mental and financial stress at the hand of this menace. He stressed upon the need to play a vital role in sensitising addicts to the harmful effects of drug use.

 Rotary Club Faisalabad President Muhammad Aslam Butt said awareness about the effects of drug addiction was essential to end the menace. He said culprits promoting drug activities must be punished under the law.