India SC orders action on child drug abuse

AFP, NEW DELHI: India’s top court on Wednesday ordered the government to come up with a plan to tackle child drug abuse, acting on a petition from Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s child rights group.
With government figures showing almost one in five addicts in India is under 21, the Supreme Court said more needed to be done to educate young people about the dangers of substance abuse in India.
The court ordered New Delhi to “evolve a national action plan within six months to combat drug abuse amongst school children”.
It said the government should conduct a national survey to determine how widespread the problem was, and include education about drugs in the school curriculum.
“Trafficking and drug abuse, inherently linked to each other, are the most prevalent forms of organised crime in the world,” said Satyarthi in response to the judgement.
“This petition was filed to ensure that children are provided with a better, more healthy childhood,” he said in a statement.
Satyarthi’s Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save Childhood Movement) filed the petition before the Supreme Court in 2014. It asked the court to order the government to create rehabilitation centres in each district of India, with a special wing for children.

India SC orders action on child drug abuse

AFP, NEW DELHI: Indias top court on Wednesday ordered the government to come up with a plan to tackle child drug abuse, acting on a petition from Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthis child rights group. With government figures showing almost one in five addicts in India is under 21, the Supreme Court said more needed to be done to educate young people about the dangers of substance abuse in India. The court ordered New Delhi to evolve a national action plan within six months to combat drug abuse amongst school children. It said the government should conduct a national survey to determine how widespread the problemwas, and include education about drugs in the school curriculum. Trafficking and drug abuse, inherently linked to each other, are the most prevalent forms of organised crime in the world, said Satyarthi in response to the judgement. This petition was filed to ensure that children are provided with a better, more healthy childhood, he said in a statement. Satyarthis Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save Childhood Movement) filed the petition before the Supreme Court in 2014. It asked the court to order the government to create rehabilitation centres in each district of India, with a special wing for children.