Punjab: Govt targets long-term recovery of drug addicts with community bridge model

The Punjab government will introduce the Community Bridge Model, a 90-day community-based rehabilitation programme for drug addicts.

The programme is part of the anti-drug drive "Yudh Nashian Virudh" launched in March last year under a three-pronged Enforcement, De-addiction and Prevention (EDP) strategy.

The Community Bridge Model ensures continuity of care after detoxification and aims to prevent relapse when patients return to their communities.

The pilot will run in Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Moga and Mohali; it includes mandatory family psycho-education, tele-counselling (3-4 calls weekly for first 30 days, then 1-2 calls weekly), and periodic dope tests.

Patients are discharged only when declared clinically fit, and those failing dope tests are reassessed by a psychiatrist; human intervention at three levels follows up missed sessions.