The government plans to involve Jeevika's network of approximately 1.81 crore women, along with students and the Brahma Kumaris. (Representational image/File)The Bihar government has launched a month-long anti-drug campaign in view of a sharp rise in narcotics seizures and drug-related cases in the state.Inaugurating the campaign ‘Nashamukt Bihar Abhiyan’, organised by the Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department in Patna on Tuesday, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary called for tougher enforcement and wider community participation.Acknowledging the growth of narcotics as an alternative following the 2016 liquor ban, the CM said, “Once prohibition was imposed, other drugs began to spread. People started looking for alternatives — some began using smack, others charas.”“Bihar’s path to prosperity depends entirely on our younger generation. If the youth become addicted to drugs, Bihar will be pushed towards ruin,” he said.Addressing DGP Preeta Verma and ADG (Law and Order) Ratan Sanjay – who also heads the Prohibition and State Narcotics Control Bureau – Choudhary said, “You have complete freedom to break the back of criminals in this sector. Eliminate this problem entirely. Any drug supplier who is ruining our children must be dealt with firmly and their network dismantled.”The campaign, which runs from October 27 to November 26, includes a WhatsApp chatbot and helpline for de-addiction, along with awareness vehicles that will travel across districts, using audio-visual material to highlight the harms of substance abuse and the benefits of a drug-free life.“Technology must be used to the fullest extent. The greater its use, the more effectively we will be able to change Bihar,” the CM said.Story continues below this adHe also called for extensive awareness drives in urban areas and street plays, village meetings and panchayat-level programmes in rural areas.The government plans to involve Jeevika’s network of approximately 1.81 crore women, along with students and the Brahma Kumaris. Choudhary said the latter had already helped connect around 15 lakh people with awareness efforts in Bihar, but the target needed to be expanded.“The target needs to be expanded further. This campaign must be carried out to protect the coming generation and enable it to progress. Until young people and our sisters from Jeevika participate, Bihar cannot change,” he said.He said eight districts had been identified for targeted intervention, including border districts, and also named Patna, Vaishali, Samastipur and Ara as areas requiring particular attention.Story continues below this adThe launch of the campaign follows The Indian Express’s two-part investigation, published on October 22 and 23, which documented the expanding narcotics market, the spread of drugs into rural areas and the pressure on treatment facilities.Bihar registered 1,905 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the first five months of 2026 alone — 83 more than in the whole of 2022.Defending the 2016 prohibition decision taken under then chief minister Nitish Kumar, Choudhary said the government had prioritised public welfare over revenue despite Bihar’s budget strains.He described the decision as one of the most significant experiments of Kumar’s political career and said the state now needed to strengthen prohibition while tackling other intoxicating substances.Story continues below this adLinking the campaign to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India, Choudhary also cited Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s target of making the country drug-free by 2029.Himanshu Harsh is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, currently leading on-the-ground coverage ... Read More Tags:Bihar newsdrugs