nagpur realizing ineffectiveness of prohibition in gadchiroli district the state government for the first time is set to launch a project mukti path the project aims at reducing tobacco and alcohol consumption within the district by 50 in three years the project will be launched in collaboration with gadchirolibased organization search and tata trust a task force will be set up for the purpose and chief minister devendra fadnavis will be its chairman at local level a district implementation committee has been formulated under the chairmanship of collector search director dr abhay bang is the adviser to the state bang told toi a survey carried out by our organization revealed that a large number of populace in the district nearly 70 is unaware about the illeffects of tobacco and even alcohol hence we are focusing on the grass roots level with a 5point strategy to create mass awareness against tobacco and alcohol consumption according to bang liquor ban which is in force in the district for 24 years needs to be more effective as a strategy regulatory authorities like police food and drug administration and even revenue officials need to be proactive in implementing the laws to make the ban successful the third strategy will be ensuring more community participation involving community members to convince users to shun tobacco and alcohol will also help in reducing consumption bang said he said even then there will still be addicts who just cant help themselves according to the survey findings almost 50 of the adults are addicted to nicotine in the form of tobacco while the number of liquor addicts is slightly less all such people will be needing deaddiction treatment we will be trying to make treatment available to every needy he saidbang also said people need ways of recreation and entertainment in the absence of constructive ways many turn to alcohol and tobacco we will also take up the task of providing alternative ways of entertainment he stressed that tobacco and alcohol are no longer hobbies both pose serious threat to personal and public health tobacco and alcohol are as bad as cholera tuberculosis or hiv but attitude of the society towards both is still lenient tobacco and alcohol are considered as the two out of top three causes of sickness all over the world bang said adding our goal is not to stop alcohol and tobacco supply abruptly because thats not helping in any dry district with proper implementation we aim to liberate people from both the harmful substances we want to change bandi ban into mukti freedom