Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi has urged parents to spend quality time with children and provide them with a loving and secure home environment as "strong family ties and high moral character can help in building a drug-free society". He also underlined the role of different organisations that assist government agencies in their fight against drug menace.

Speaking at a programme held on Tuesday as part of the ‘60-Day Anti-Drug Tobacco and Liquor Awareness campaign’ here, Mukhi said that in the light of burgeoning abuse of contraband drugs along with the use of alcohol and tobacco, “strong family ties, parental guidance and counselling coupled with high moral character can help youth stay away from the scourge of these substances”.

"Parents should provide a loving, stable and secure home environment to children," he stated. He also said social organisations should work dedicatedly to create awareness about the "vicious cycle" of drugs and alcohol and the harms they are inflicting on the society.

“The menace of drugs is spoiling the society. Therefore, to ensure a drug-free society, social organisations should put up a collective effort and work in tandem with the government to defeat the negative forces,” he maintained.

The governor also called upon students to work towards a bright future and pledged his support and help for creating a drug-free society. He requested teachers and educational institutions to encourage youth to take up sports, music and other creative pursuits.

The awareness campaign, organised by an NGO, was earlier flagged off by the governor from Raj Bhavan, an official release said.

(With PTI Inputs)