DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab's war against drugs takes a significant turn as the state government is all set to roll out a pioneering drug prevention curriculum for students of Classes IX to XII in all government schools as part of the 3rd phase of the ongoing "Yudh Nashian Virudh" drive, announced Harjot Singh Bains, Minister of School Education, Punjab.

While addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan on Monday evening, S. Harjot Singh Bains informed that Aam Aadmi Party National ConvenerArvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will launch the statewide drug prevention curriculum on August 1 at Arniwala in Fazilka district.

Sharing the details about the curriculum, he further stated that this pioneering program, created by the Nobel Laureate Prof. Abhijit Banerjee-led organisation J-PAL South Asia, will empower around eight lakh students in Classes IX to XII with prevention-focused skills to combat substance abuse. The curriculum will consist of 35-minute sessions, held every fortnight for 27 weeks, and will feature a mix of engaging content, including documentaries, quizzes, posters, and interactive activities. These sessions will focus on key areas such as myth-busting, refusal strategies, and resisting peer pressure, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions.

Bains said that the drugs prevention program will have a wide reach, covering 3,658 schools and engaging over 6,500 trained teachers to empower approximately eight lakh students from Classes IX to XII. This comprehensive program will ensure a significant impact on Punjab's education system, equipping students with essential skills to say no to substance abuse.

This initiative is grounded in evidence, developed with leading behavioural scientists, and evaluated through randomised trials conducted in 78 government schools in Amritsar and Tarn Taran during FY 2024?25. These trials covered 9,600 students and, evaluated by J-PAL South Asia, yielded significant results. The trials demonstrated a marked improvement in addiction risk awareness, with 90% of students recognising the high risk of addiction from trying 'chitta' even once, compared to 69% in the control group. Additionally, the trial successfully debunked myths about addiction, with the belief that addiction can be overcome by willpower alone dropping from 50% to 20%.

Punjab's drug crisis is a result of decades of systemic neglect and patronisation of previous regimes, pointed out S. Harjot Singh Bains while stating, "Punjab becomes the first state in India to implement a statewide, evidence-based drug prevention curriculum, while recognising that the battle against drugs begins from the classroom, not in police stations."

(editor@dailyworld.in)