Navi Mumbai NGO appeals for New Year celebrations free of alcohol - Hindustan Times
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Navi Mumbai NGO appeals for New Year celebrations free of alcohol

By, Navi Mumbai
Dec 30, 2021 09:58 PM IST

In an effort to create awareness about the evil effects of drunk-driving and to urge the residents to opt for New Year celebrations free of alcohol, Anvay Pratishthan, a Navi Mumbai-based NGO, conducted a unique programme at Shivaji Chowk in Vashi

In an effort to create awareness about the evil effects of drunk-driving and to urge the residents to opt for alcohol-free New Year celebrations, Anvay Pratishthan, a city-based NGO, conducted a unique programme at Shivaji Chowk in Vashi on Wednesday afternoon.

Volunteers of Navi Mumbai-based NGO, Anvay Pratishthan, urging residents to opt for New Year celebrations free of alcohol in Vashi. (BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)
Volunteers of Navi Mumbai-based NGO, Anvay Pratishthan, urging residents to opt for New Year celebrations free of alcohol in Vashi. (BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)

Around 15 volunteers of the NGO stood facing the road and held placards with different messages. Later, they also distributed pamphlets among the drivers and others requesting them not to indulge in alcohol and other narcotics.

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Ajit Magdum, director of the NGO, said, “Millions of litres of alcohol are consumed in our country every year during the New Year celebrations. Some people even drive vehicles under the influence of alcohol and thereby put their lives as well as the lives of others at risk. Therefore, the message we wanted to convey by organising the programme was ‘Welcome the New Year, but not in intoxication’.

“A large number of youth consume alcohol for the first time during occasions like New Year celebrations. Studies have shown that in India, 15% to 20% youth consume alcohol just for fun at first and then turn out to be addicts at a later stage of their lives. So, we tried to explain to the people that alcohol may give one momentary pleasure but it also carries a punishment for lifetime. We also gave them an idea about the diseases that one might get due to the consumption of alcohol and other narcotics.”

Anvay Pratishthan was established in 2012 with a vision to curb the menace of alcohol, tobacco and drug addiction that is crippling the youth of India. They are now operating five de-addiction centres – Vashi (NNMC Hospital), Nerul (DY Patil Hospital), Turbhe (NMMC UHC, Indira Nagar), Kalamboli (CIDCO Community Centre) and Panvel (Prabhakar Patwardhan Hospital).

Eighteen trained and dedicated volunteer counsellors help operate these centres. All services to addicts including counselling, medication and follow-ups are offered free of cost.

“Our services provided by Anvay centres have impacted and benefited more than 3,000 addicts, helping them to alleviate their addictions. We also keep conducting different awareness programmes for the vulnerable sections of the society including the commercial sex workers and rag-pickers,” Magdum added.

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