Empowering Communities Through Prevention

The Action Against Addiction and Crime (AAC) program recognizes that preventing drug abuse and crime among youth requires a comprehensive, community-wide approach. Therefore, a significant component of the program focuses on engaging parents and other key influencers to promote healthy behaviors and create supportive environments that safeguard young people.

Key Prevention Awareness Campaigns and Activities of AAC:

1. Building Partnerships for Prevention and Control: The AAC program actively cultivates strong partnerships with schools, parents, teachers, doctors, media outlets, and community residents to establish a collaborative network for drug abuse prevention and control. Hundreds of activities, including workshops, interactive sessions, and collaborative initiatives, have been conducted under this theme across various districts of Madhesh province, making it a cornerstone of the AAC's ongoing efforts.
2. Drug Awareness and Crime Prevention Week (DACPW): A Signature Annual Campaign: Since 2010, AAC and its community partners have spearheaded the annual Drug Awareness and Crime Prevention Week (DACPW), a significant awareness campaign held from June 26th to July 2nd to commemorate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. This week-long initiative features a series of impactful events and activities designed to:
   • Raise public awareness about the serious risks associated with drug abuse, including its links to crime.
   • Disseminate crucial information emphasizing that addiction is a treatable disease and recovery is possible.
   • Recognize and celebrate the dedication of individuals working tirelessly within the sector to mitigate drug and crime-related harm.
   • Encourage active community involvement, conveying the powerful message that collective action can make a tangible difference in the fight against drugs and crime.

The diverse events held under the DACPW campaign include:

2. • June 26: International Day Commemoration: Awareness rallies and various events marking the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
   • June 27: "Sports Against Drugs and Crime" Day: Engaging sporting events that promote positive interaction between youth, police personnel, community influencers, leaders, former drug users, and other stakeholders.
   • June 28: Information Day: Utilizing street plays, informative stalls, and outreach services to connect with at-risk youth both within the community and in correctional facilities.
   • June 29: Recovery Day and Candle Light Memorial Evening: Encouraging individuals struggling with addiction to seek rehabilitation programs, followed by a poignant candle light memorial evening to honor those who have lost their lives due to drugs and crime.
   • June 30: Partnership Building with Educational Institutions and Parents: Initiatives focused on establishing Anti-Drug and Crime clubs within schools and colleges, and engaging parents in prevention efforts.
   • July 1: Interactive Forums: Workshops, interaction programs, and round table discussions involving former drug users, ex-convicts, their families, government officials, and community leaders to build understanding and collaboration.
   • July 2: "Get High on Music Not on Drugs": Engaging musical concerts and dance events designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and crime through a positive and relatable medium.
3. Annual Public Health Awareness Activities: Sano Paila actively participates in and organizes annual commemorations of World AIDS Day, World Condom Day, and other public health awareness activities, recognizing the interconnectedness of various health and social issues within the community.
4. Campaign against Drug Cultivation: In 2010, as part of Sano Paila’s focused and sustained efforts against drug abuse, the AAC program launched a community-based campaign to advocate against the illicit cultivation of opium and cannabis in the Parsa district of Nepal. This initiative was a collaborative partnership involving the Nepal Police, the district administration, the Armed Police Force, and the broader civil society.

In 2009, media and police reports (Nepali Times report) estimated that Parsa District alone had 60 percent of its agricultural land under drug cultivation, and the region was experiencing a surge in narco-trade and crime. From 2010 to 2012, our efforts focused on reclaiming the district as a drug cultivation-free zone by partnering with all sectors of the community and by directly addressing the problem through uprooting crops and exploring alternative cash crops for farmers who were growing drug crops.

Over the course of the two-year campaign, whole-community interaction programs, involving police and district officials, media and community leaders, and Sano Paila members, were organized to directly engage with farmers, appealing to them to cease drug cultivation. Over 50,000 farmers and their families were reached in Parsa district, which was a major center for drug cultivation and production. They were informed about the adverse effects of drug crops on the community, and attempts were made to convince them to stop cultivating these crops.

Sano Paila’s “role models” (recovered drug users) shared their personal experiences and stories about their descent into addiction and how it had ruined their lives. During these interactive sessions, community leaders, police authorities, government officials, media representatives, and Sano Paila members discussed alternatives to drug farming and addressed drug issues, highlighting how youth from villages who migrate to cities for education and jobs are more vulnerable to drug addiction and how farmers, directly or indirectly, were often supplying the drugs.

The authorities informed the community about the existing laws against drug cultivation and publicly expressed their commitment to effectively implement these laws and prosecute farmers growing narcotics. The police authorities vowed to monitor their officers and guaranteed that protection money would not be solicited and bribery would not be tolerated.

The results of this campaign were remarkable, with drug farming reaching an all-time low. According to media and police reports in 2013, there was a 90 percent reduction in land area under illicit crops in a region that was once the country's largest hub for drug cultivation. The majority of farmers stopped using their land to grow narcotics, significantly curtailed drug cultivation, and switched to alternative crops. This also helped reduce crime and corruption related to the narco-economy and trade. In 2013, the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of Nepal adopted the model of this campaign for implementation in other sectors and districts.

This was one of the first campaigns of its kind in the country, and the youth of Sano Paila involved at that time accomplished what the police and administration had been hesitant to do. The police had been unwilling to risk this encounter alone, and the central government had largely ignored the issue until 2010.

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