Mammootty is the brand ambassador of the campaign.

By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala’s social media initiative against growing drug abuse, endorsed by film star Mammootty, has proved to be a big hit with almost every youth icon backing it on networking site Facebook.

Lunched by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy by liking its Facebook page facebook.com/getaddictedtolife on August 6, its support base grew to 100,000 within a week and yesterday, the ‘likes’ crossed 145,000.

Besides Mammootty’s star son Dulquer Salman, several others including Jayaram, Jayasurya, Fahadh Fazil, Nasriya Nazim, Nivin Pauly, Bhavana, Rimi Tomy, Namitha Pramod, Kunchacko Boban, Innocent, Kalabhavan Mani, Aasif Ali, Kaniha and Anoop Menon are backing the campaign.

“Let us support the Kerala government initiative against substance abuse,” wrote Nazim, who is engaged to Fazil. “Each share and like you give to this post is a dislike against a menace that destroys our younger generation. Let’s unite and declare loudly that a healthy life is the biggest addiction.”

Some of the stars have also replaced their profile pictures with a campaign poster. So far, 60,000 Facebook users, including Mammootty, have changed their cover photo to the campaign poster using addictedtolife.in/cover.

“Addicted to Life, great initiative by Kerala Government and dear Mammookka. Join Us and Get Addicted to Life,” Pauly, who also changed his cover photo to the campaign, wrote.

“I’m also there with our own Mammookka in this campaign against drug abuse... Together, let’s say it aloud, a healthy life is the biggest intoxication,” said Namitha Pramod.

Authorities say the page has already reached 20mn which is unprecedented for a state-run campaign on social media. They say the response has been stupendous thanks to its brand ambassador Mammootty, who has more than 2.4mn followers on Facebook.

“The youngsters are increasingly vulnerable to drugs and so we thought of taking it to social networking sites like Facebook. Most of these victims fall in the age group of 13-14,” said K Babu, the state’s minister responsible for liquor trade.

“Every like that the Addicted to Life page gets is indeed a dislike to drugs,” says Mammootty.

Abdul Manaf, who initiated the star-powered social media initiative, says the campaign has gone viral on Whatsapp as well as there was a curiosity factor as celebrities have changed their profile pictures to spread the message and say no to drugs and drinks.

This is a yearlong campaign and he hopes to take musicians, photographers and others as well on board. Tweets of the celebrities and posters will be posted on these sites. Short film and photography contests are also planned as part of the campaign.

The anti-drugs campaign was started in 2011 and the government decided to observe June 26, World Anti-Drug Day, as dry day in Kerala every year.

In 2012, anti-addiction clubs were started in schools and colleges and now they are functioning all across Kerala. Schoolteachers are provided with a handbook on drugs and alcohol addiction to teach the students. 

But the campaign has not made any impact on the overall consumption of alcohol in the state which also boasts of the highest literacy in India. Instead, it sets a new record after every festival season.

 

 

 

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