C Joseph Vijay was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu who staged a major anti-drug awareness programme in Chennai for thousands of students, athletes, government officials and everyone’s participation in the society and public to help to prevent drug abuse. It was organised within the state’s wider programme to promote healthy lifestyles among young people, and increase awareness on the risks associated with drug abuse.
The event, organised on 26 June 2026 to observe the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, was organized by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT). Some 15,000 people participated in the awareness programme, reported in newspapers. College students, sportspersons, government officials and public joined the initiative, according to the newspaper.
Vijay administered an anti-drug pledge to participants before the awareness run and signed an awareness board with the campaign slogan, "Start Run, Stop Drugs, Sports-ah Edu, Drugs-ah Vidu." The message encouraged young people to get involved in sports and other positive activities as an alternative to substance abuse.
The Chief Minister also participated in the awareness run after flagging it off. The programme started close to the Anna Memorial area on Kamarajar Salai and covered around 6 kilometres and ended at Island Grounds. His participation gave the campaign a very public-facing aspect and placed youth health and drug awareness at the heart of the event.
A number of notable athletes and Olympians participated in the programme. Their presence demonstrated the link between sport, physical activity and positive youth engagement. Sharath Kamal, C A Bhavani Devi, Joshna Chinappa and other sporting personalities were amongst the athletes in the programme and SDAT trainees, foreign coaches and college students. Ministers, legislators and senior government and police officials were among those who attended.
The Chennai programme is part of a broader policy campaign to achieve a drug-free Tamil Nadu. Awareness, prevention and enforcement have been part of its approach according to the state government. As part of its efforts to address drug-related concerns among young people, Tamil Nadu has also announced anti-drug clubs and dedicated enforcement mechanisms.
Education is relevant to students because education is a great source of prevention and awareness. Schools and colleges can fund campaigns to make teenagers aware of the safest course to take, know when it’s risky and seek help from trusted adults when they’re in trouble.
Sports have also been central to the state's public awareness program. The campaign was focused on the athletes and young people to encourage physical activity, teamwork and healthy recreation and the message was “Start Run, Stop Drugs.”
Tamil Nadu has done mass anti-drug pledge initiatives in recent years as well. Government instructions for the 2025 campaign stated that similar programmes had been carried out in 2022, 2023 and 2024, with students and young people involved in awareness activities.
The recent Chennai event is therefore a further step in the state’s continuing awareness campaign. Instead of the message being limited to government offices or enforcement agencies, the programme carried the problem out to a large public gathering with young people and the sporting family.
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— Pokkiri_Victor (@Pokkiri_Victor) August 11, 2026
Educational and interpersonal awareness campaigns are particularly useful for students and for families when combined with good education and support systems and friendly professional help for those who have substance-related problems. Public messaging can reduce stigma, so people don’t feel like they can just go alone and hit the streets.
With Vijay personally leading the pledge and joining the awareness run, the Chennai event brought the message of prevention to the fore. Many thousands of people participated and showed that large-scale community programs were able to spread awareness too.
More generally, the campaign aims to motivate young people to do good things, and to be creative. And as Tamil Nadu continues to fight against drugs, educational institutions, sports clubs, government agencies and communities will be key in the state’s prevention.
