Women are emerging as the flag-bearers of hope in Bhagwant Mann Government’s war against drugs, ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’. A recent awareness programme held in Moga underscored a powerful message that is resonating across the state, that mothers, wives, sisters and other family members are leading the battle against substance abuse by supporting their loved ones through treatment and recovery.
When a household falls into the trap of addiction, it’s the women and children who bear the harshest brunt. From economic and emotional distress to heightened risk of violence, drugs destroy homes from within. But families in Punjab are now playing a critical role in identifying addiction as an illness, motivating their loved ones to seek treatment, supporting recovery and preventing relapse.
These voices resonated strongly at the “Menace of Substance Abuse – Uncovering the Burden on Women,” organised at SFC College, Jalalabad. The event brought together recovering patients and women family members who shared first-hand accounts of how their courage, resilience and perseverance helped their family members return to a life of dignity.
Ludhiana-based Ragini Kaur and Balwinder Kaur, from Buttar Kalan in Moga, shared the journey of her husband’s recovery from drug addiction. Such stories of success against drug addiction reinforce the importance of placing families, especially women, at the centre of Punjab’s de-addiction strategy. Dr Arvind Goyal, District Nodal Psychiatrist, Ludhiana while endorsing the view said, “Recovery from substance dependence is most successful when treatment is complemented by a strong support system at home.
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “Behind every successful recovery there’s a family, a community, and a government system that chooses hope and compassion.