•Punjab Rolls Out Comprehensive School-Based Anti-Drug Strategy to Protect Adolescents From Substance Abuse

•Children’s Active Participation Gives Confidence That Punjab’s Youth Will Stay Away From Drugs: Balwinder Kaur, Teacher (Govt School in Amritsar)

CHANDIGARH: As schools across Punjab reopen after a month-long summer break, thousands of teachers are playing a pivotal role in ensuring that Punjab goes drug-free in the coming days.

The frontline is shifting from police stations and rehabilitation and de-addiction centres to schools and classrooms, as part of the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Yudh Nashean Virudh campaign. Through a cadre of sensitised teachers, aware principals, and safe school spaces, the Bhagwant Mann government is building a safety net around each child, providing knowledge around the dangers of drug use, skills to combat mental stress and options for safe and anonymous reporting.

To strengthen this frontline, Punjab is investing in the people who interact with adolescents every day. With support from experts from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, over 1,400 Heads of Schools across nine districts, particularly the border districts, have been sensitised to identify early warning signs of substance use, respond with empathy, and address mental health through a public health lens.

Capacity-building workshops have also been conducted for more than 3,000 teachers of Classes IX-XII in Amritsar. The training has yielded encouraging results, with 75% of teachers saying they felt inspired to create healthier school environments and 85% recognising the close link between adolescent substance use, stress, peer influence, and emotional challenges. The programme is now being expanded to cover all districts.

Alongside awareness for school staff, the state is also addressing one of the root causes of adolescent vulnerability, which is stress and emotional distress. A statewide Mindfulness Programme, now being rolled out across all government schools for students of Classes VI to XII, introduces a 30-minute guided session every morning comprising breathing exercises, meditation, positive affirmations, and gratitude practices to improve focus, emotional resilience, and mental well-being.

Piloted in nearly 210 government schools in Mohali, the initiative reported encouraging outcomes, with 83% of students reporting better ability to deal with difficult situations without extreme stress.

Noting the significance of the initiatives, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “Every child saved from addiction is a family protected and a future secured. By making schools spaces where children build their confidence, resilience and life skills, the state is laying the foundation for a much healthier and stronger society. Our objective is not merely to warn children about the dangers of drugs,” he said, adding that “but to equip them with the knowledge, strength, and informed decision-making needed to make informed choices.”

Punjab further strengthened its prevention strategy by introducing India’s first statewide evidence-based anti-drug curriculum for students of Classes IX to XII. Rolled out in August last year, the programme covers nearly eight lakh students across 3,658 schools and is delivered by over 6,500 trained teachers.

Developed in collaboration with J-PAL South Asia and behavioural scientists, the curriculum moves beyond conventional awareness campaigns. Through documentaries, quizzes, debates, and classroom discussions, students learn about addiction, peer pressure, decision-making, and practical refusal skills that help them resist substance use.

Balwinder Kaur, a teacher from a government school in Amritsar who is mentoring adolescent children as part of the state’s fight against drug abuse, said, “We are getting encouraging responses from the children who actively participate in brainstorming at the classroom and school levels. This gives us the surety that in the days to come, tomorrow’s teenagers and adolescents will remain insulated from the scourge of drugs.”

Schools are also creating safer channels for students to seek help. Anonymous tipping boxes have been installed to allow students to confidentially report concerns related to substance use without fear of stigma or reprisal.

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that the various initiatives reflect the government’s unwavering focus on securing the future of Punjab’s youth. “Teachers have always played a role in the transformation of society and the CM-led initiatives against drug abuse are already bringing positive results. We have to realise that it is teamwork in which teachers or mentors play a central role.”

Punjab has already emerged as the country’s top-performing state in school education, ranking No. 1 in the National Achievement Survey and the NITI Aayog School Education System Report 2026. Today, it is setting another benchmark, showing that the fight against substance abuse begins not only with enforcement but with empathy, scientific evidence, and prevention. By placing teachers, school leaders, and classrooms at the heart of this effort, the state is building a model that seeks to protect children before addiction can take root.