An awareness and capacity-building programme was organised for schoolteachers across 12 districts under the state government’s anti-drug campaign — Yudh Nashian Virudh.The aim of the initiative is to equip 21,850 schoolteachers with practical skills needed to identify early signs of mental health problems and drug abuse among students and to intervene in time.The programme started in Fazilka and Tarn Taran on August 3. Over 800 schoolteachers participated in the programme last week.Training exerciseIn January this year, a training programme was conducted for principals and headmasters of senior secondary and high schools across nine districts of the state.The training focused on the state’s border districts, which are considered vulnerable to the drug menace. A pilot teacher training programme was also conducted in Amritsar district, in which more than 2,800 schoolteachers participated.Based on the success of these initiatives, the Bhagwant Mann government has now launched a phased expansion of the training module starting with Fazilka, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Muktsar, Faridkot, Mohali, Ropar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana and Patiala.‘Focus on mental health’Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh said, “Every child who slips into the darkness of drugs is a child we could have reached earlier. Our teachers spend more time with our children than most; they notice the silences, the absences, the changes no one else sees.”“The training module is so designed that the teachers have a better understanding of adolescent issues, their mental health and emotional wellbeing,” he added.