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LEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS AT THE PERIL OF THE POOR!

Prof. T K Thomas*     “ The odds of psychotic disorder among daily cannabis users were 3.2 times higher than for never users, whereas the odds among users of high-potency cannabis were 1.6 times higher than never users .” I had interactions with a large number of patients and recovering drug addicts during my association with one of the leading drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centers in Delhi. All of them were addicted to various substances and were multi drug users including alcohol, a legal drug in our country which actually is a depressant. While documenting their stories I found that in an overwhelming majority of cases their initiation into drugs started with what we call Ganja/ ‘Charas’ or marijuana, which at least a few experts consider as a “gateway” to addiction to more potent drugs. These substances known by different names have mood altering properties. Most of them tried or experimented with these drugs, derived from t

Patient Champions and Peer led NGOs united for #Health4JusticeJustice4Health on World Drug Day 2019

International Day against Drug abuse and Illicit trafficking   'theme "Health for Justice, Justice for Health"   was observed on 25th June 2019 by Vikalp (CCAA Trust)  a member  of Young India Network for Good health along with ten other peer led NGOs at Gaziabad Railway Station ( U.P),namely,  Pray for all, New Serve Nissan,JM Baksh Foundation,servhit Foundation,AACA Trust,Jeevan Uday Nasha Mukti Kendra,Aarti Foundations,Vijeta Seva Sansthan, A Real Life Foundation. These patient champions and peer led NGOs have been running Drug Rehabilitation centers in Sahibabad and Gaziabad area. Nada India and Young India Network for Good Health have been organizing   Non Communicable Disease prevention program and giving peer educators and counselors training in behavioral change counselling for the prevention of NCDs and its risk factors among drug using population. Mr.Abhilash T.Issac convener of Young India Network informed that Network has involved  patient champions and pee

Besides addiction cross cutting issues like NCDs &Tuberculosis are real challenges says National Award winners Pradip & Harish

Prof. T.K.Thomas   Pradip and Harish speaking during Nada India Capacity Building workshop  There were ‘’patient champions” running peer led drug rehabilitation centers. Two such National Award winning entrepreneurs Pradip Goyal, who runs Vikalp in Ghaziabad and Harish Bhutani who runs Nav Vikalp in Jaipur explained the challenges of working with patients who have, besides addiction, cross cutting NCDs like, Tuberculosis, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and mental health problems.... The annual World No Tobacco Day was observed on 31st May. The day is observed by the World Health Organization [WHO] and global partners as an opportunity to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form. This year’s focus for the day was, “Tobacco and lung health”. Everyone knows how tobacco affects our lungs. The WHO release says, the campaign will increase awareness on, “the negative

Alcohol Prohibition In Bihar: A Policy Analysis

by   Suneel Vatsyayan Posted on May 16 '19, in  Alcohol's Harm To Others ,  IOGT ,  Obstacle To Development ,  Policy ,  Prevention ,  Recovery ,  Research ,  Sustainable Development Alcohol: major obstacle to development The situation of women’s safety here in Bihar was such that women would not step outside their homes beyond 6 pm. Alcohol fueled domestic violence had been accepted inside the homes to such an extent that there had been about 85 women in the village who committed suicide seeing no escape.” Ritu Jaiswal, a local politician in Bihar  explains how alcohol hinders sustainable development  in Bihar, India. Already many years before, in March 2013, Bihari women started protesting alcohol fueled harm in public. “Humari aabroo ki keemat pe sharab ka dhandha nahi chalega.” (The sale of liquor will not continue at the cost of our honour.) The chant echoed through Konar, a village near the town of Sasaram in Bihar’s Rohtas district. That day, around sixty w

Next NADA Acudetox workshop in Delhi on 1st June 2019