By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, June 26: The Department of Health of the exile Tibetan administration in association with Kunphen Center and Dharamshala Tibetan Settlement Office organized an open marathon to raise awareness against growing number of drug abuse in the exile Tibetan community.
“It is imperative that we must give more attention to the growing ratio and percentage of Tibetans engaging in drug and substance abuse,” said the Health Minister (Kalon) Choekyong Wangchuk.
The minister further said that substance abuse is also the root cause discord in personal and family lives, and at community level. It must be considered the number one enemy to raise awareness against especially amongst the Tibetan youth he added.
Rinchen Dorjee, a recovery drug addict in his testimony said that it has been a hard life having gone through tough times with family and friends abandoning him due to his substance abuse.
The former army, who took substance abuse for over 12 years, said that besides monetary problems he has also contracted hepatitis after using shared syringes and needles. However, he said that he considers himself lucky to have recovered and it has been over three years since he has stopped using his choice of drug and over six months of complete abstinence.
“Today I am in a happy place with a wife and soon planning a family life,” said Rinchen, who currently works for Kunphen.
As an advice young Tibetans, the 31-year-old former substance abuser said, “Don’t get into it if you are not already. The best is to abstain and not to yield to temptation of trying. The more you do, the harder it gets to recover from it.”
The event was participated by 162 people, including 91 students from six different Tibetan schools from around Dharamsala.
