The Union Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley said that menaces like drug abuse and illicit trafficking cannot be eradicated by law alone. In order to curb them, the society at large has to participate in the campaigns against such menaces, he added. The Finance Minister emphasised the need for co-operation among various law enforcing agencies to fight the menace of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley was speaking here today at a function organized to mark the occasion of United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The function was organized by the National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics (NACEN), Faridabad. Shri Jaitley appreciated NACEN`s efforts for spreading awareness against drug abuse. The programme was attended among others by Shri Shaktikanta Das, Revenue Secretary, Members of the CBEC and senior officers of the Ministry.

The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley also released three books on this occasion. These books were compiled and edited under the helmsmanship of the Director-General of NACEN, Dr. G. Sreekumar Menon, and some of the bright young probationers of the 65th batch of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) Customs and Central Excise. The books are entitled as ‘Brave the Rave: The Bane of Party Drugs in India’; ‘Detection Dog: The Canine Companion in Customs’ and ‘Book of Slogans: From Dope to Hope’.

The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley also released a multilingual CD dedicated to breaking the chains of drugs on this occasion. Well-known Bollywood music director and composer, Shri Aadesh Srivastava, has composed and sung a song along with Ms. Sunidhi Chauhan and galaxy of singers against drugs abuse in the CD.

Later an academic seminar was held on Recreation/Party Drugs and their abuse in India and across the world, wherein eminent speakers from the AIIMs, Pharmaceutical sector, UNODC, NGO as well as lawyers and bureaucrats put forth their views.

A cultural programme was organised to disseminate information and create public awareness against drug abuse.

Community participation against drug abuse is essential, paired with inter agency cooperation and public awareness efforts. Drug abuse and illicit trafficking require community participation and coordinated law enforcement action rather than reliance on law alone. Emphasis is placed on public awareness, inter agency cooperation, and operational measures-training, educational publications, detection dogs, multilingual media campaigns, seminars linking medical and legal stakeholders, and cultural outreach-to prevent demand and strengthen enforcement through multi stakeholder engagement.