According to officials, actor Sanjay Dutt may be the face of the Union Government’s campaign against drugs. A Union Social Justice And Empowerment Ministry Official said: “Dutt is an icon, who has spoken about his experience with drug abuse. We felt he will be able to effectively take the message to the younger people on why they should steer clear of any substance abuse.” The ministry has prepared the national action plan for drug demand reduction for 2018-2025. This will focus on creating awareness, providing preventive education, and on the counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of individuals addicted to drugs.

127 high-risk districts in which targeted interventions will be carried out for a period of one year, have been identified. June 26th which is recognized as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is likely to be the day when Sanjay Dutt’s role in the campaign is officially announced. A ‘Magnitude of Substance Abuse in India’ report released earlier this year stated that 14.6% of the population between the ages of 10 and 75 years consume alcohol. The report also mentioned that: “In terms of absolute numbers, there are about 16 crore persons who consume alcohol in the country. Use of alcohol is considerably higher among men [27.3%] as compared to women [1.6%].”

While on one side having famous personalities advocate such worthy causes is useful, it is also important to pay attention to the kind of material portrayed and glorified in cinema by various actors. The on-screen presence of actors can be as influential as their off-screen persona which is why the role of the censor board is very crucial.