CHANDIGARH-Women are emerging as the flag-bearers of hope in Bhagwant Mann Government's war against drugs, ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’. A recent awareness programme held in Moga underscored a powerful message that is resonating across the state, that mothers, wives, sisters and other family members are leading the battle against substance abuse by supporting their loved ones through treatment and recovery.
When a household falls into the trap of addiction, it’s the women and children who bear the harshest brunt. From economic and emotional distress to heightened risk of violence, drugs destroy homes from within. But families in Punjab are now playing a critical role in identifying addiction as an illness, motivating their loved ones to seek treatment, supporting recovery and preventing relapse.
Women often emerge as the driving force behind recovery, serving as motivators, caregivers and counsellors who help their loved ones overcome addiction. Many also extend their support to others in their neighbourhoods and relatives, encouraging them to go for treatment and rebuild their lives.
These voices resonated strongly at the “Menace of Substance Abuse – Uncovering the Burden on Women, ” organised at SFC College, Jalalabad. The event brought together recovering patients and women family members who shared first-hand accounts of how their courage, resilience and perseverance helped their family members return to a life of dignity.
Ludhiana-based Ragini Kaur says, “My husband was a drug addict since before our marriage. But I only came to know about it once we started living together. We had lost all hope when someone guided us to take him to a drug-de-addiction and rehab centre. And that helped. Today he is completely sober. After my husband became free of drug addiction, we also helped my mama’s son undergo a de-addiction course at the same place. He too has recovered successfully.”
Balwinder Kaur, from Buttar Kalan in Moga, also shared the journey of her husband’s recovery from drug addiction. “Addiction had broken our family emotionally and financially. Counselling taught us that recovery is a journey in which the whole family plays a role. I took my husband to a de-addiction centre. Today my husband has turned completely sober. Not just him, another boy from our neighbourhood who was addicted to heroin also recovered successfully, " she added.
Such stories of success against drug addiction reinforce the importance of placing families, especially women, at the centre of Punjab’s de-addiction strategy. Recognising their crucial role in the fight against drug addiction, the government is ensuring that family counselling becomes a key component of every patient’s recovery in government-run de-addiction centres.
Dr Arvind Goyal, District Nodal Psychiatrist, Ludhiana while endorsing the view said, “Recovery from substance dependence is most successful when treatment is complemented by a strong support system at home. While the government has strengthened access to free treatment, counselling, and rehabilitation services across the state, the involvement of family members remains critical. Families provide emotional support, encourage adherence to treatment, help individuals navigate setbacks, and create an environment that enables long-term change. In many cases, we have seen mothers, wives, sisters, play a pivotal role in motivating individuals to stay on the path to recovery. De-addiction is a collective effort where families are often the strongest partners in rebuilding lives.”
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “Behind every successful recovery there’s a family, a community, and a government system that chooses hope and compassion. Mothers, wives and sisters are becoming the torchbearers for the change towards a healthy, addiction-free, and Rangla Punjab. The success of Mann Government’s Yudh Nashean Virudh lies in making the fight against addiction a people’s movement, and we’ll continue to center the voices of women who are leading this change."