Some of those who voted YES had this to say:
• ‘Prevention is better than cure’. So YES from me.
• Yes, it is best that the children are inform of the side effects of the drugs
• Because it makes sense
• Yes, measures must be taken at an early stage. Children should be educated from pre-school stage on the negative of substance abuse
• Yes, educating from an early age is very necessary. Children must be equipped and well informed to face the world when the grow up.
• Families need to be involved in educating the children against substance abuse. Only lately, the practice of early childhood education has been introduced. This is a much needed step. Sunday schools and educational institutes must introduce practical education to equip our children.
• Yes, this is what is required. There must be systematic awareness and education policy for children and families on effects of substance abuse. There is no substitute to education. Random trainings and workshops will not help and it is not effective. Instead a very well thought out action plan for awareness and education from the grassroots level is required.
Some of those who voted NO had this to say:
• Our society is found of shaming and marginalising outcasts. People who are addicted to substance abuse are often discriminated even by their own family, for no fault of theirs. Sometimes the family members only make things worse because of ignorance and intolerance. The attitude of the society needs to change.
• No because Naga society is in denial and does not admit the reality as it is. The failure of the Prohibition Act is a good example. Everyone knows it has failed but no one is willing to lift it.
Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say:
• Substance abuse can simply be defined as a pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood-altering purposes. "Substances" can include alcohol and other drugs (illegal or not) as well as some substances that are not drugs at all. What are the moods that we need/want and what are the moods that society/world is forcing on us as a need/want and what are the reasons such moods are in existence in the first place. If the world is a stage for one and all to progress and that stage consists of a structure where some will have little, some sufficient, some more, some nothing and some most and all will continue to want more, the sanctity of being alive itself is eroded further with each generational existence by wanting to continue to exist longer and better or short and best or long and worst, etc.. All these can be achieved by the use and introduction of various substances (natural or unnatural). In this race of delusional existence, what is the moral value of life we are imparting on each generation that comes to exist and as such, what are they learning and applying from it and furthering them if they continue to exist. A well-off individual taking to substance abuse will always be accompanied by a downtrodden fellow who will have no means to continue to further that habit in the long run and as such, that poor fellow will start to glamourize that activity to other poor fellows and so on and so forth and then follows the anti-social activities. As for that well-off fellow, if conditions are favourable enough, will go on to be a church leader, a pastor, etc. etc. and an inspiration to the many other improperly financed or emotionally, psychologically wanting or misguided, etc. substance dependents. Its as much a societal as well as an individual perception on life that we must seek to understand, acknowledge, apply, impart and improve with each generation that can tackle this substance abuse pandemic. Cosmetic measures are all but our own failures in accepting our downfall at every aspect towards a humane life. Why is there even substance abuse in the first place and as such why should we let it exist and why must we be okay with substance abuse? Maybe we should take to Darwinism for the weak willed and continue one's journey or take all the trouble in the world to bring in cosmetic early intervention and programs to be followed by more and more cosmetic measures or actually start with ourselves and remedy our perception on life and its gift for a fruitful journey until death. A tree to bear fruit or be useful at its matured stage will need all the right environmental conditions to grow and be fruitful or be just another tree to rot away that will naturally be used as fertilizer for another tree to continue bearing fruit or newer ones to grow.
• Our state does not have a mechanism to be able to make this much needed early intervention. No doubt it is required, but we have this habit of not preparing in advance. We wait for the problem to hit us before we even make any move.
