NGOs ropes in celebrities to fight campaign de-glamouring drug addiction using glamour

“Drugs have been glamourised in films and rock concerts and media indirectly has also promoted its use. And therfore we thought of using glamour to deglamourise drug adiction,” said Yusuf Merchant, President of Mumbai-based Drug Abuse Information Research and Rehabilitation Centre.

At a press conference here, a nearly 10-minute video carrying messages from the various celebrities endorsing the campaign was also played.

Keshav Palita, President of Delhi-based Universal Education and mental Health Advancement Foundation, the partner in the campaign, said, “Some of the people who resort to substance abuse are very talented, intelligent and beautiful people, and our aim is to take away from drugs to something else that keeps them still creatively active and satisfied.”

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Merchant said, “Our organisation targets 6th graders in schools who are still not exposed to the menace and tries to nip it in the bud. Once they take to substance abuse, it is difficult to wean them back.”