Patiala, Aug. 13 -- Health minister Dr Balbir Singh on Wednesday launched the Intensified Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Campaign 3.0, expressing concern over the rising intravenous (IV) drug use among youngsters and the resulting risk of HIV transmission.

The campaign will be conducted across Punjab from August 12 to October 12 to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS, encourage timely testing and treatment, and promote abstinence from drugs.

"Across the world and in the country, the most common mode of HIV transmission is unprotected sex, followed by the sharing of needles among drug users, but unfortunately, in Punjab, the trend has been reversed, with the use of syringes surpassing unprotected sex as the most common mode...