Vimukthi Monsoon Marathon - 2019

Vimukthi
The Kerala State Mission for De addiction – ‘Vimukthi’ is an initiative of Government of Kerala which aims to create awareness among people on ill effects of use of Alcohol and Narcotics drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Kerala State Excise Department, in association with Local Bodies, Educational institutions, National Service Scheme, National cadet corps, Student police Cadets, Kudumbasree, State Library Council, Anti alcoholic organizations, Residence associations and Youth and Women organizations conduct campaign to discourage people from using Narcotic drugs  and Alcohol for changing our society.
Aim - The aim of the mission is a drug free Kerala.

The initiative is headed by a governing body with the Chief Minister of Kerala  as its  Chairman and the Minister for Excise as Vice Chairman. Additional Chief Secretary for taxes is the convener. Ministers of Health, Local Self government, Education, Finance, Trade, SC-ST and Fisheries are the members of the body. The Chief Secretary, President of the Sports Council, President of Kerala Panchayat Association and representatives from the fields of Sports, Arts, Culture and Literature are also the members of the body.  Committees at the district and local self government institutional levels form part of the governing body.

Vision
Government envisages to eradicate drug abuse and alcoholism through intensive awareness campaign.  Excise Departmentconducts enforcement activities in tandem with aggressive awareness campaign to reduce the evils of liquor and drug abuse and its impact in the society to ensure a healthy  and peaceful life to the public at large.
Government also establishes De-addiction centres, Research institutions etc to treat and educate the society on the menace of drugs and alcohol addiction. 

Objectives

1. To create awareness on the ill effects of Drug abuse and Alcoholism in the society.
2. Adopts innovative ways for creating awareness among youngsters on the drug /liquor menace.
3. Research programmes to find out the methods by which drug/liquor addiction in the society can be reduced.
4. Establishing De addiction and Rehabilitation centres for the  people who addicted to drug/liquor.

Enforcement activities during  2017 (NDPS Cases)

In 2017, the Excise Department had registered 5,946 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) which was highest in the history of the Organisation. Of them 1,673 cases were registered in Kochi city alone, against 1,164 cases in the previous year. In 2017, 1,224 NDPS cases were registered under the Eranakulam Rural Police limits compared to just 225 in 2016.In first three months of 2018, as many as 520 kg of ganja was seized from different parts of the State.

Monsoon Marathon

As part of the campaign against the use of Narcotic drugs,  the Kerala De-Addiction Mission ‘Vimukthi’ is organising  a Half-Marathon in Kochin  named the ‘Cochin Monsoon Marathon ., Run Against Drugs’. Kochi being the metro city from where a large number of NDPS cases are booked, Excise Department aims to enlighten its inhabitants of the danger of drugs and to instil in them affinity to physical activity by conducting the Half- Marathon.

More than 10,000 participants from across the state, irrespective of age and gender, are expected to take part in the Half-Marathon, scheduled for 12.01.2019. Marathon will start from Maharaja’s College.

Why Marathon?

Running is the best physical activity which could increase overall level of health by improving  lung functioning  and boosting the whole immune system. When a gathering of 10000 persons race together for a cause like  this, the department feels that our goal of imparting awareness on the evils of drug abuse can be achieved to a great extent.