Kerala forms 40-member think tank to combat rising drug abuse among youth

Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala government has formed a "think tank" comprising individuals from various sectors to develop an action plan to tackle the rising drug menace in the state.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had announced the formation of the think tank late last month to closely monitor the increasing use of narcotic substances and the growing violent tendencies among the youth.

According to an order dated April 15 issued by Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, the think tank consists of 40 members, including experts from various fields, bureaucrats, senior and retired officials, actors, and others.

The think tank is envisioned to formulate a coordinated action plan for the comprehensive social and psychological development of children and teenagers, the order stated.

While speaking at a high-level meeting last month to discuss strategies to curb drug abuse in the state, Vijayan also announced that a web portal would be launched to allow the public to confidentially share information regarding drug sales and usage with the authorities.

He assured that the identity of informants would not be disclosed under any circumstances.

Vijayan reiterated that the government's objective is to eradicate drug abuse from the state.