IMPHAL, Jun 23
A webinar on the theme “Criminalization of drug users: “A threat to health and social development” was organised by District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Imphal West in collaboration with Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE) under the aegis of Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MASLSA) yesterday.
Nalinikanta Rajkumar, President of CoNE, was the Speaker cum Resource Person of the webinar with the Legal Services functionaries (Panel Lawyers and Para Legal Volunteers), representatives of CSOs working towards the welfare of PUD and other organisations and the public in general being the target participants, said a statement issued by CoNE.
Nalinikanta Rajkumar shared the technical as well as legal aspects related to substance abuse.
The speaker stated that in order to achieve the goals that had been emphasized in various policy documents, three strategies have been developed to manage drug abuse namely 1) Demand Reduction which aim to reduce the desire to use drugs and to prevent, reduce or delay the initiation of drug use (2) Supply Reduction which aim to disrupt the supply and availability of drugs and (3) Harm Reduction that aim to reduce the negative impacts of drug use, added the statement.
In the context of Manipur, the approaches that we have observed to curb drug menace in the state, since way back in the early 80s, is criminalization and the nature of criminalization has continually evolved into various worse forms till date. Considering the variation in the above-mentioned approaches of criminalization and decriminalization, an idea of organizing a webinar on the theme, “Criminalization of drug users: A threat to health and social development” evolved, explained the speaker.
The speaker also echoed the voices of various other organisations propagating rights-based approach, who believe that the ongoing subculture of forced pick up, arbitrary detention, breach of confidentiality, verbal abuse, humiliation, physical and mental tortures, vigilantism by moral policing etc. can only be stopped and prevented through adoption of decriminalization strategy.
The general public may contact the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Imphal West for any legal related advice/counselling and many other related services through the DLSA, Imphal West Front Office 24x7 Helpline no. 6009904967 or through email at
[email protected], added the statement.