E-Paper
Punjab highlights women’s role in anti-drug campaign as families drive addiction recovery
In Punjab, women are central to the anti-drug campaign as they support recovery for those battling addiction.
The Punjab Government has highlighted the role of women in supporting addiction recovery under its ongoing Yudh Nashean Virudh campaign, saying mothers, wives and sisters are emerging as key contributors in encouraging treatment and rehabilitation of people struggling with substance abuse.
The emphasis comes after an awareness programme organised in Moga, where recovering patients, family members and health professionals shared experiences on the role of families in helping individuals overcome addiction. Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said the campaign has evolved into a people’s movement by placing families, particularly women, at the centre of the state's anti-drug strategy.
Women emerge as support system in recovery
According to the government, addiction often places the greatest emotional, financial and social burden on women and children. It said many families are now recognising substance abuse as a medical condition, encouraging affected members to seek treatment and supporting them through rehabilitation while helping prevent relapse.
At the awareness programme titled Menace of Substance Abuse – Uncovering the Burden on Women, held at SFC College, Jalalabad, several women shared personal accounts of supporting family members through de-addiction.
Ragini Kaur from Ludhiana said, “My husband was a drug addict since before our marriage. But I only came to know about it once we started living together. We had lost all hope when someone guided us to take him to a drug-de-addiction and rehab centre. And that helped. Today he is completely sober. After my husband became free of drug addiction, we also helped my mama’s son undergo a de-addiction course at the same place. He too has recovered successfully.”
Balwinder Kaur from Buttar Kalan village in Moga also shared her family's experience. “Addiction had broken our family emotionally and financially. Counselling taught us that recovery is a journey in which the whole family plays a role. I took my husband to a de-addiction centre. Today my husband has turned completely sober. Not just him, another boy from our neighbourhood who was addicted to heroin also recovered successfully,” she said.
The government said such experiences demonstrate how women often become motivators, caregivers and counsellors during the recovery process. It added that many beneficiaries are also encouraging neighbours and relatives to seek treatment.
Government says family counselling integral to de-addiction
The government said family counselling has been made an essential component of treatment at government-run de-addiction centres to strengthen long-term recovery.
Ludhiana District Nodal Psychiatrist Dr Arvind Goyal said recovery is more successful when supported by family members.
“Recovery from substance dependence is most successful when treatment is complemented by a strong support system at home. While the government has strengthened access to free treatment, counselling, and rehabilitation services across the state, the involvement of family members remains critical. Families provide emotional support, encourage adherence to treatment, help individuals navigate setbacks, and create an environment that enables long-term change. In many cases, we have seen mothers, wives, sisters, play a pivotal role in motivating individuals to stay on the path to recovery. De-addiction is a collective effort where families are often the strongest partners in rebuilding lives,” he said.
Dr Balbir Singh said, “Behind every successful recovery there’s a family, a community, and a government system that chooses hope and compassion. Mothers, wives and sisters are becoming the torchbearers for the change towards a healthy, addiction-free, and Rangla Punjab. The success of Mann Government’s Yudh Nashean Virudh lies in making the fight against addiction a people’s movement, and we’ll continue to center the voices of women who are leading this change.”
The government said the campaign aims to strengthen awareness, treatment and rehabilitation efforts while encouraging greater community participation in addressing substance abuse across Punjab.
