After a month-long starter campaign on drug abuse and rehabilitation awareness in February, students of Centre for Studies in Journalism & Mass Communication (CSJMC), Dibrugarh University, are back with a 45-day campaign starting May 15 until June 29.
The awareness drive will involve a mixed bag of social media campaign, social experiment, cinema screening with tea tribe community and concluding on a lighter note with a music gig at the end.
The initiative named #HopesUpDrugsDown saw the students start off with the on-ground events on June 8-9 with a public survey across six locations starting from New Market, KC Gogoi Path and DU Haat in Dibrugarh, followed by a social experiment that was conducted to gauge public reactions around drug abuse and its victimhood that took place across Marwari Patty, Naliapool and concluding at DTP Dyke in Dibrugarh.
While drugs can put a young person’s health and life in jeopardy, many are not aware of the risks. Even for those who are willing to seek help, they face constraints from their family or friend circles. This campaign is primarily targeted to accelerate and support the ones looking for ways to help themselves or someone in need.
The social experiment saw mixed and surprised responses from the crowd. “I have no idea what rehabilitation means,” quickly said a surveyee. Another participant mentioned that the existing conditions of rehabilitation can be improved and more awareness certainly needs to grow in this sector.
The students collected insights across a diverse group of people the findings of which will be shared as part of their social media campaign.
Another anticipated event that awaits as part of the campaign is the grassroots engagement initiative via cinema screening to be held on June 12 at the Sealkotee Tea Estate to engage, interact with the local tea tribe community around the issue.
As part of their assignment, the students of the Centre for Studies in Journalism and Mass Communication, Dibrugarh University specialising in public relations, have been using their subject of study of communications to bring difficult conversations around social causes to the table within Dibrugarh district.
The campaign strives to offer an open space for respectful conversations around drug abuse and the address the reasons behind the taboo around seeking rehabilitation and aims to occupy a significant place in the public consciousness for the future.
