80-90% youth falling prey to drugs menace after treatment: Health Minister
Punjab News: The second day of the winter session of the Punjab Assembly commenced on Wednesday. As per Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan’s directives, today’s proceedings began with a question-answer round. Yesterday, the Punjab government introduced two money bills, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann clarified that three bills would be introduced on Wednesday.
Responding to the question-answer session, Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh highlighted that despite undergoing oral medication for de-addiction, 80-90% of the youth revert to drug usage. To address this issue, revisions are underway for the mental health policy. Efforts are being made to focus on yoga over medication and rehabilitation.
Punjab faces a shortage of psychiatrists, with only 35 available in the region. However, the mental health policy has been initiated within jails. Individuals returning due to repeated substance abuse in jails have been integrated into this program. They are receiving skill development alongside treatment and will be eligible for grants and loans under government schemes, aiming to reduce crime rates.