Mobilizing Social Media Influencers Against Drug Abuse

Thank you, Greater Kashmir, for the initiative. I have a proposal that might help in creating awareness about the harms of drug addiction.

If we look around, we'll find a large number of youth actively engaged in social media platforms. And there on social media they prefer to watch vloggers and fashionistas and are deeply influenced by their fake brittle popularity. We can use these influencers wisely against the epidemic. And hopefully they won't hesitate doing it as it won't affect their popularity. Following are the steps:

Prerequisites:

1) Creating a toll free number to help victims and their friends & families reach out to the counselling team.

2) For the counselling team, we need some psychiatrists, general physicians and psychologists consisting of a few female  psychologists also. We can also include nurses, religious leaders, journalists and civil society.

Task:

1) We need to shortlist the group of social media influencers who are having the best part of popularity.

2) Discussing with them the issue and convincing them to take part in this social work.

3) Once they are ready, assembling them physically at some venue or on the online platform like google meet or discord.

4) Providing them with the whole strategy of content making and how they can maintain the public attention while working against drug abuse. (They'll use the toll free number, suggesting viewers to get in contact with the team through this number in case of any victim)

5) Printing the posters with a brief message of counselling services for drug abuse victims.

6) Influencers will use viewers as volunteers to participate in posters displaying at public places  (undoubtedly a lot of people are interested in contributing to society).

Once it's successfully done, social media will be flooded with drug abuse awareness and this voice will reach the bounding mountains of the Valley. People will definitely respond and will join the mission.

Most of the victims are certainly trying to get rid of this substance consuming act but they can't, because of lack of counseling and support. Victims (most of them), their friends & families will try to reach out to the counselling cell.

Our counselling cell will provide them with required help and support. I'm not a doctor nor a psychologist. I'm just an ordinary man out of nowhere. Further this idea can be altered and expanded by professionals.

Allah says in the Holy Quran:

"Let there be a group among you who call others to goodness, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil, it is they who will be successful."

And our Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) says in the Hadith:

"Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand, and if he's not able to do so, then with his tongue, and if he's not able to do so, then with his heart (admitting it to be the evil),and that's the weakest of Faith."

If we contribute to society selflessly we'll find Allah swt supporting us at every step. Afterall, we need to do this just to please Almighty Allah. I'm deeply concerned about the issue but I'm helpless. I see a lot of youth drowning into the marshes of addiction.

BY Waseem Yousef