School Campaign Against Addiction and Substance Abuse
A community outreach programme was conducted at PTVA’s English Medium School, Andheri to sensitize the young students on the health hazards as well as the psychological and social impact of drugs and alcohol, and to promote healthy ways to cope with stress and problems to reduce the risk of addiction. The school conducted a campaign against addiction and substance abuse in collaboration with eminent Psychiatrist Dr. Ashish Deshpande in July and August 2024 in which students of grades VI, VII, and VIII participated enthusiastically.
The parents were oriented on the topic in the Annual General Meeting. A few websites prescribed by Dr. Deshpande were shared with the parents for reference to help their wards search for the content for the essay writing competition. The other two competitions were Poster Making-Slogan Writing and Reel Making. The winners of these competitions were felicitated at the hands of Ex-Corporator Shri Abhijit Samant in a programme on 10th August. The essay written by Master Shlok Karande of grade VI won the First prize, while the posters made by Master Maitreya Koranne of grade VIII and Miss Arpita Mahanty of grade VII were announced as the Best. Miss Aarvi Salian and Master Shlok Shinde of grade VII were given the First prize for their reels. Class VII A and VII B were awarded as Best Participating Classes and their Class Teachers Mrs. Preshell D’Souza and Miss Shweta Yadav bagged the awards for the Best Motivational Teachers for their contribution to this campaign. Dr. Ashish Deshpande addressed the students and explained how drugs affect our body parts and how this Anti Drug campaign can help individuals make informed decisions about substance use, identify early warning signs of addiction, and know where to turn for help and support if they or someone they know is struggling with substance abuse. PTVA Director and eminent Psychiatrist Dr. Ajit Dandekar graced the occasion with his presence and appreciated the posters made by the students.
A Palak-Shaala was conducted for the parents on the same topic by Dr. Deshpande on 12th August. This interactive session was very much appreciated by the participants.
Mrs. Preshell D’Souza
(Asst. Teacher at PTVA’s EMS, Andheri)
