On the afternoon of 13th September, KMC Manipal welcomed Mr. Akshay M Hakay, IPS Officer, Superintendent Of Police in the Udupi District, to share his insight into the drug problem our society is battling. This event, ‘Aabhas’ was organized by the Nasha Mukt club of KMC along with Student Council of KMC Manipal.
The event began with an invocation by Arundhati Iyer. Following this, the Masters of Ceremony, Ayushmann Kashyap and Kanika Yadav welcomed our esteemed Dean Dr. Sharath K Rao and Dr. Vinod Nayak, faculty advisor of the Nasha Mukt Club onto the stage. Each gave a shining introduction to our accomplished guest and impressed upon the importance of the matter at hand.
Finally, Mr. Akshay M Hakay took the floor. He gave an engaging talk, unafraid to ask deeper questions involving substance abuse.
Why talk to medical students about drugs at all? He asked, aware that his audience was intimately familiar with physical and mental effects of drug abuse. Who benefits from the widespread distribution of drugs? What does it take for a nation to come together over an issue? These were the questions he attempted to tackle.
He also talked about the complex role of social pressures in leading educated populations into the ever-tightening noose of substance abuse. Frequently referencing movie stars and sports persons infamous for drug use and the impacts on their careers, he painted a very dark picture of how abuse is rampant in every aspect of our life. “We have booked 90 cases in the last 25 days in Udupi alone” was the dismal report he had for us.
He ended the talk by suggesting ways we, as students, could deal with the problem within our sphere. “First identify you have a problem, then
say No and finally join hands with the administration and the police to help rid society of this disease” was his conclusion.
The event drew to a close with Mr. Akshay M Hakay fielding some pressing questions from the audience. An interesting question that came up was “Do you think portrayal of drug use movies worsens the problem, should they be banned?” In response Mr Akshay explained that “movies are a reflection of real life. You cannot ban movies. Otherwise people will not come up with innovative movies. They are a mirror that show you what society is actually like. Fear to talk about things openly does not help.”
Another was “How do I avoid peer pressure so far away from family?” He replied “Pick a new family of people who are not addicts, people you can trust. Pick the kind of people who would help you through addiction instead.”
And lastly and perhaps most importantly “What can we do?” In reply: “If I’m not doing it why should I care is the wrong attitude to have. Be vigilant and proactive. Keep the police in the loop. Be aware that both consuming and peddling is illegal. Please report any illegal drug use, anonymously if need be”
To conclude the event, Dr Arvind Kumar Pandey, Coordinator Student Affairs & Faculty advisor for Student Council delivered the vote of thanks.
Credits:
Written by – Mariyah Haji , The Editorial Board KMC
Design by – Omanshi Agarwal, Nasha Mukt Club KMC Manipal
Photos by – Samir Gulati, The Editorial Board KMC Manipal
Uploaded by – Utkarsh Agrawal, Vice President, Student Council KMC Manipal