Whistle Blower Campaign Launched to Control the Use and Abuse of Drugs by Youngsters Across Punjab 
Logo of the anti-drug Campaign ‘Whistle Blower’ unveiled by Punjab Social Welfare and Bait-Ul-Maal Department at The Royal Kitchen, Lahore Fort
In an event held at The Royal Kitchen, Lahore Fort, Minister for Social Welfare Syed Yawer Abbas Bukhari and Director General Social Welfare & Bait-ul-Maal Department, Muddassir Riaz Malik, unveiled the logo of the anti-drug campaign ‘Whistle Blower’. The event hosted academia, students, and representatives from marginalized communities and other relevant stakeholders.
According to Punjab Social Welfare Department Pakistan has 6.7 million drug users. More than 4 million of these are addicts, amongst the highest number for any country in the world. It is also estimated that up to 44 tons of processed heroin is consumed annually in Pakistan. Students from different colleges and universities are using hard drugs inside and outside the institutions, thus creating a huge challenge for the authorities and the communities at large.
More than 800,000 Pakistanis aged between 15 and 64 use heroin regularly. Whistle Blower campaign aims at addressing this age group by making an online portal as well as designated safety and security officers in schools, colleges and universities.
The campaign would work by lowering the demand for drugs through awareness, counselling and reporting the use of drugs while maintaining complete confidentiality of the person who reports the use of drugs at a specific institution. The confidentiality of the user will also be strictly maintained but forums for counselling and rehabilitation will be informed about it. The department will collaborate with various government and non-government organizations to work against drug abuse. The prime objective of the campaign is to aim at a range of targets that include demand reduction, reduction of drug related crime and violence, and reduction of drug-related health and social cost with the ultimate goal to save the youth from the use of drugs.