Motivation and dedication helps a drug-ridden community

By Pir Niaz Ahmed (AEC)

Good health is a gift by Allah to all human beings. Shamsabad is experiencing a gradual decline in people’s health conditions. One of the main reasons of their bad health is the use of Ghutka and Main puri (a mixture of unhealthy things, including tobacco etc). In addition to throat cancer, Ghutka is suspected to cause cause lung and urinary diseases. An addict of such habitual and harmful drugs has trouble eating food.

Use of Ghutka and Main puri is very common in Shamsabad. There are several people who are involved in this bad habit, specially in the villages of Haji Hussain Dal and Kandhil. Unfortunately, children were also picking up this habit after observing their elders do it. There have been two reported incidents of death due to the drug use. HDF Shamsabad region took some bold initiatives to kick away this bad habit from the program area.

A “Ghutka Chor” (quit Ghutka) Committee formation is the first step in this regard. Continuous motivation and education is helping people quit this bad habit. A decline in the use by students is the result of hard work and dedication of this committee. A couple of schools were reputed to have nearly 100% drug use, but now those students have freed themselves from the darkness of destruction and dangerous diseases.

HDF Shamsabad region is also taking initiatives to help parents stop this bad habit through emotional motivation and continuous follow up. Encouraging results are are being reported from these communities. The most successful and bright examples are from the villages of Haji Hussain Dal, Kandhil and Luqman Khaskheli, where there has been a 60-70% decline in the consumption of these drugs. Those who have dropped the habit are now, in turn, convincing others to stop these activities.

The communities are also happy to see their children healthy. They are thankful to HDF for its great efforts to eradicate this problem from the area.