Chennai, Aug 2026 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday led a major state-level anti-drug campaign in Chennai, urging students, families and the wider public to join hands with the government in its efforts to curb substance abuse and prevent the trafficking of illegal drugs.
Addressing a large gathering at a city college, Chief Minister Vijay said combating narcotics required a collective effort involving the government, educational institutions, families, community organisations and young people.
He particularly urged students to remain alert to attempts to lure them into drug use and encouraged them to help friends and classmates stay away from addictive substances. The Chief Minister stressed that young people could play an important role in creating awareness and preventing drug abuse within their communities.
During the programme, Vijay administered a mass anti-drug pledge to participants, who committed themselves to staying away from narcotics and spreading awareness about the harmful consequences of substance abuse.
The pledge focused on individual responsibility, protecting families and communities, supporting people undergoing rehabilitation and cooperating with government agencies involved in preventing the supply and consumption of illegal drugs.
Participants also pledged to help people vulnerable to addiction access appropriate support and contribute to the government’s wider objective of creating a drug-free Tamil Nadu.
According to an official, a large number of people from across the state also joined the campaign digitally by taking an e-pledge through the Drug-Free Tamil Nadu portal. The initiative is intended to extend public participation beyond physical events and encourage citizens to become active participants in the anti-drug campaign.
The state government has also strengthened its institutional response to the narcotics challenge by establishing a specialised Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF). District-level units have been tasked with improving enforcement, intelligence gathering and coordination against drug trafficking networks.
Authorities have simultaneously introduced the Drug-Free Tamil Nadu App to encourage greater participation from educational institutions. The application allows students and teachers to anonymously report suspected drug sales and distribution in and around educational institutions and nearby residential areas.
The government is also placing emphasis on prevention and community-based intervention alongside enforcement. Youth volunteer groups have been trained to help create safer environments around schools and colleges and conduct peer-to-peer awareness programmes highlighting the risks and consequences associated with drug abuse.
Officials said involving young people directly in prevention efforts could help identify emerging risks at an early stage and strengthen awareness among vulnerable groups.
Tuesday’s programme was aimed at reinforcing the government’s message that enforcement measures alone cannot eliminate the narcotics problem. Authorities stressed that sustained public participation, early prevention, awareness programmes, rehabilitation support and effective enforcement would all be necessary to achieve the long-term goal of a drug-free Tamil Nadu.
The campaign also sought to encourage citizens to treat the fight against substance abuse as a shared social responsibility, with students and communities playing an active role alongside government agencies.
