Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) general secretary Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho stressed on churches opening rehabilitation centres to accommodate drug dependents and engage counsellors to address drug addiction.
He opined that pastoral care ministry should not remain confined within the church but reach out considering the churches had more professional counsellors, noting that many churches were not making use of the counsellors. He said this during a panel discussion on “Sunflower drug and its effect on young people today” organised by NBCC Youth department at NBCC Platinum Jubilee Hall, Thursday.
On the role of the church, Keyho said harm and supply reduction were out of the church’s parameter though the church could do an aggressive exercise on preventive measures. He urged associations to set up rehab model centres where intensive counselling could take place by making use of the professional counsellors.
After a marathon discussion, NBCC Youth department secretary N Suhuto Chishi in his concluding remark emphasised on creating awareness programme on drug abuse and also insisted NBCC executive council take up the issue and work on how the associations and churches could do.
He maintained that NBCC EC could also take up with the associations to establish rehab centres to be managed by the associations.
He said associations must constitute a team of volunteers to respond to the issue and prepare sermons on drug addiction or dependency, besides starting a mental health ministry involving professional counsellors.
Further, Chishi suggested that the associations could also start industrial skill development programmes for the drug dependents for self-sustenance.
In his address, State Mental Health Institute Kohima’s senior medical officer Dr Viketoulie Pienyu said sunflower was a street name of heroin that came in a cheaper form. He mentioned that sunflower reactions remained for about four to five hours.
Despite Nagaland Liquor (Total Prohibition) Act being enforced in the State, he lamented that alcohol was available openly and even socially accepted. But he cautioned that alcohol posed greater danger than sunflower that needed to be addressed.
He maintained the reason for the high rise of drug users in Nagaland was because the work culture here was very poor and focused more on leisure time, which led to youngsters engaging mostly in substance abuse.
Participating in the discussion, Western Sümi Baptist Akukuhou Küqhakulu (WSBAK) youth secretary K Nifato Chishi observed that the church could intervene through preventive activities and sensitising the society on the ill-effects of drugs.
He said the church should also work on how to support those dependent on drugs and do away with social stigmatisation, while urging the church to assist NGOs running rehabilitation centres to uplift the broken souls.
On his part, Konyak Baptist Bumeinok Bangjum (KBBB) youth secretary Wangchah Konyak said the organisation conducted detoxification camps, adding that while sunflower was a new form of drug, the organisation had been dealing with opium users for the past many decades.
Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM) youth secretary Toshi Sanglir said churches should address social stigma and use resources in primary prevention in collaboration with NGOs and government agencies.
He said the church should not only work on addressing the problem of drug abuse but alcohol abuse too.
Altogether representatives from 20 associations attended the panel discussion.
Need check posts in right places
NBCC general secretary Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho stressed on the need to set up check posts at the right place to keep check on illegal activities.
Responding to a query on whether absence of check-posts made entry of drugs into the State easy, Keyho said that though he was not the right person to comment, however he opined that law enforcement agencies needed put the check-posts at the right place to help keep check on illegal activities.
Keyho lamented that check-posts were abused, because of which the public became apprehensive of having them.