Officials, students and others during the awareness
programme on ‘Substance use disorder’ at Kohima Science College, on Saturday.
- KOHIMA — The
Nagaland Social Welfare department, in collaboration with the Internal Quality
Assurance Cell (IQAC) of Kohima Science College, Jotsoma, organised an
awareness programme on ‘Substance use disorder’ at the college’s conference
hall, on Saturday.
- The event aimed to educate students on substance abuse
prevention, peer pressure, and mental health, the college stated in a press
release.
- The session was led by Dr. Meripeni Ezung, associate
professor, Department of Physics.
- Delivering the opening remarks, K Wango Langsym, deputy
director of Social Welfare, emphasised that the programme was not meant to
target addicts but to spread awareness.
- “We are not calling you here because you are addicted but to
share awareness,” he said, and encouraged the students to be agents of “Change”
in the society.
- The first session on ‘Introduction to substance abuse and
importance of primary prevention’ was conducted by Ketho Angami, president of
ARK Foundation, Nagaland.
- Ketho discussed on “gateway drugs” and how substance abuse
often starts from small things in life.
- He pointed out misconceptions, stating, “Many of us think
alcohol is not a drug, but it is one of the oldest and most widely misused
substances.”
- Ketho also highlighted the role of peer pressure in leading
young people to substance use and shared his personal strategies to stay away
from substance abuse and maintain sobriety.
- A session on ‘Mental health and substance use disorder’ was
delivered by Dr. Sungtimen Jamir, medical officer, OST & Detox Centre,
NHAK.
- Sharing a childhood anecdote, he explained how emotional
distress often drives youth towards substance abuse. He emphasised that mental
health is as crucial as physical health, saying that “Just because we are
physically healthy does not mean we are truly healthy if our mind is
suffering.”
