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Indianizing Prevention and Restoring Human Dignity in Drug Response

  From Confrontation to Compassion: Indianizing Prevention and Restoring Human Dignity in Drug Response By *Suneel Vatsyayan The journey from confrontation to compassion in India’s drug response is not merely a professional reflection—it’s a personal one. It began for me in 1985, when I met a 16-year-old boy struggling with petrol sniffing. Brought by his mother to the Observation Home for Boys near Delhi Gate, this moment left an indelible impact. It was before I officially joined Navjyoti, but it became the seed of my lifelong commitment to humanizing addiction treatment. When I joined Navjyoti , established under the Delhi Police Foundation for Correction, De-addiction, and Rehabilitation in 1987, I came as a trained social worker—not just to treat symptoms, but to restore dignity. Back then, and still today, I hold this belief: No human being should be reduced to their addiction . The challenge of substance use is not merely medical—it is deeply social, cultural, and spiritual....
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The Future of Quitting: NADA Protocol and AI Transform Tobacco Cessation

Tobacco Cessation: From Inner Calm to AI-Driven Solutions —  A Path Shaped by NADA protocol In an era increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence and digital innovations, tobacco cessation strategies must evolve to address both emotional and technological dimensions. While AI-powered conversational solutions offer promising avenues to assist individuals in quitting tobacco and preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the most profound change often begins internally.  As Dr. Michael O. Smith, founder of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA), aptly stated, “NADA acupuncture teaches us to relax from the inside out.”  This internal transformation is crucial. Individuals, particularly adolescents, youth, women, and marginalized communities, often grapple with stress, trauma, or stigma, making discussions about tobacco use, mental health, or domestic violence challenging. To surmount these barriers, a fusion of compassionate, community-based met...
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Celebrating 50 Years of the NADA Protocol

  This milestone celebrates not just the protocol but the spirit of resilience and hope it embodies. A must-watch for those inspired by stories of change, equity, and healing! Celebrating 50 Years of the NADA Protocol A remarkable journey of healing and empowerment! A new film captures the incredible legacy and worldwide acceptance of the NADA Protocol, pioneered by the visionary Dr. Michael O. Smith in the U.S. The documentary highlights the profound impact of this ear acupuncture technique on communities globally, including its inspiring adoption in India. I feel privileged to have shared moments with Dr. Michael O. Smith during his numerous visits to India and with Dr. Khensu Carter, who accompanied him. My last meeting with Dr. Carter, a practicing psychiatrist and professor at UCLA Psychiatry, was in New York in 2018. The film also delves into Dr. Carter's reflections on the emergence of movements like the Black Panthers and the Young Lords and their intersection with the NADA...
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A statement about Michael Smith by his family

  * A statement about Michael Smith We are respectfully submitting this history as we, his family, experienced it. We hope it is helpful. Deborah Valentine Smith I recently attended an excellent webinar on t he African American History of Acupuncture by  Dr.  Tenisha Dandridge, hosted by Acupuncturists without Borders. The history of Lincoln Hospital and Lincoln Detox in the 1970’s was of special interest to me,  as I participated in much of it and may have a unique perspective, as I was married to Mike Smith at the time. While I appreciated much of the history shared in this Webinar, I can’t agree with a couple of the statements about Mike. The statement in Dr. Dandridge’s presentation that “he did not approve of the politics brought with the free clinics,” makes it sound like Mike did not approve of the free clinics themselves. Mike’s history as a medical student and doctor was all about free clinics. Mike started working with the Black Panther Party when...
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Nada India Archives: Probation Officers could be trained for the NADA acupuncture therapy

Dr.. Smith addressed the group of Probation officers in Delhi  Government   and informed about the instrumental role played by a Probation officer in assisting the judicial system in delivering justice. He furthered that the key for any effective probation service is that willingness of the subject to keep coming back . With the right use of Acupuncture techniques can aid the probation officer to motivate the subject to come back willingly. According to Dr.. Smith : Mr. Vatsayan commenced the session by introducing Nada India and Dr. Smith to the members present . He broadly categorised the purpose of meeting into two viz. ·         To know about the gaps in the delivery of the probation services . ·         The applicability of Dr. smiths knowledge and techniques to bridge the gap in the Indian set up of probation services . The introductory address was followed by the introducti...
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Dr.Sinha emphasized the effect of NADA protocol on various NCDs such as diabetes, Hypertension & Insomnia.

Prof. T.K.Thomas  The annual World No Tobacco Day was observed on 31st May. The day is observed by the World Health Organization [WHO] and global partners as an opportunity to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form. This year’s focus for the day was, “Tobacco and lung health” . Everyone knows how tobacco affects our lungs. The WHO release says, the campaign will increase awareness on, “the negative impact that tobacco has on people’s lung health, from cancer, to chronic respiratory diseases”. There are frightening figures about the mortality attached to tobacco related diseases. A study by three Indian researchers in 2012 revealed that “tobacco is a leading preventable cause of death, killing nearly six million people worldwide each year. Reversing this entirely preventable man made epidemic should be our top priority. The global tobacco epidemic kills more people than tu...
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