Speakers have urged the mass communication media to step up its role in curbing narcotic drug trafficking and its abuse.
Speaking in the program titled 'Interaction with Journalists on Narcotic Drug Control' organized by the Department of Narcotic Drug Control under the Ministry of Home Affairs here Friday, they expressed concern over the increasing narcotic drug use in the country of late.
The speakers said that the increasing number of narcotic drug users has resulted in various problems in society, highlighting the concerted efforts of the civic society, journalists and security bodies in addressing this problem. They also urged them to be serious in their role and responsibility to that end.
Home Secretary Mohan Krishna Sapkota said the society moving toward the wrong direction would be suicidal to all sectors and urged the media to play a very proactive role and step up its role in stopping this trend.
He also spoke of the need of formulating a separate policy to control narcotic drug use and trafficking in the context of the adoption of federal setup.
Joint Secretary Kedar Neupane on the occasion shared the data which showed that the number of narcotic drug users in the country has been increasing by 11 per cent annually. He suggested revising the Narcotic Drug Control Act, 2033 BS saying it has become obsolete.
He stressed that the media should play its role as the disseminator of true information on narcotics drug, as the initiator of steps to address the problem and as the means of giving feed back to the government on related policies.
Director General of the Department of Drug Administration Narayan Prasad Dhakal, chief of the Narcotics Control Bureau of Nepal Police, Deputy Inspector General Thule Rai and Vice-president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Bipul Pokharel also underscored the need of concerted efforts from the police, civic society and the media to address the burgeoning problem of narcotics substance trafficking and use.
