Kochi: Alarmed by the alarming rise in substance abuse among school-age children, the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) has announced a comprehensive anti-drug campaign to be implemented across all Church-run schools in the state. The initiative will be formally launched on June 26, in observance of World Anti-Drug Day, and is part of the KCBC’s renewed commitment to safeguarding students from the destructive grip of narcotics.
As per the council’s announcement during its recently concluded Monsoon Conference, all schools operating under the Church’s patronage—spanning hundreds of institutions across Kerala—will integrate anti-drug awareness programs into their morning assemblies, culminating in an anti-drug pledge to be collectively taken by students, teachers, and staff.
“We can no longer afford to view this as an isolated issue. Substance addiction is quietly eating into the moral fabric of our youth, and it demands a united and sustained response,” the bishops declared in their press release.
The campaign will feature structured interactive sessions, student-led awareness skits, educational posters, and guest talks by rehabilitation professionals and law enforcement officers. Teachers will be provided with special resource materials to help integrate anti-drug themes into moral science and social studies classes in the weeks leading up to June 26.
The council has also encouraged schools to form Anti-Drug Clubs, where student volunteers can lead peer-to-peer engagement, identify early warning signs, and act as ambassadors of clean living within the school environment.
The KCBC called on both civil authorities and non-governmental organizations to work in tandem with the Church in addressing the drug crisis. It appealed to the state government to ensure stricter monitoring of drug sales near school zones and increase funding for prevention-based campaigns.
“Combating this crisis cannot be the responsibility of schools alone,” the bishops stated. “There is an urgent need for community-level awareness and rehabilitation initiatives, particularly in vulnerable urban and rural pockets.”
With its extensive network of schools and deep community presence, the Catholic Church in Kerala views itself as uniquely positioned to lead from the front. “As educators and spiritual mentors, we have a moral duty to protect our children—not just from academic failure, but from social evils that rob them of their future,” said a KCBC spokesperson.
While June 26 will mark the formal inauguration of the campaign, Church leaders stressed that this is not a one-day event, but the beginning of a long-term educational and intervention strategy. The KCBC also plans to organize parent orientation seminars, launch digital anti-drug resources, and collaborate with Catholic youth movements for street-level awareness drives.
The Church hopes this initiative will serve as a model for other educational networks, setting a precedent for how institutions can play a proactive role in addressing one of Kerala’s most pressing public health emergencies.
As the countdown to World Anti-Drug Day begins, the KCBC’s call to action resonates deeply: faith, education, and civic responsibility must unite to break the chain of addiction before it takes an entire generation in its grasp.