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 of transmission in several districts. Other modes of transmission include contaminated blood transfusions and perinatal (mother-to-child) transmission," the minister said at the launch of the initiative. Punjab has reported a high burden of new HIV infections in the country. According to the latest report released by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) in May, 56% of newly detected HIV-positive cases in Punjab were attributed to the use of contaminated syringes by injecting drug users (IDUs). IDUs are individuals who administer psychoactive substances directly into the bloodstream, muscles or under the skin using a syringe. Sex with heterosexual partners (non-regular and non-commercial) accounted for 17% of new infections. According to Punjab government data, the state reported 12,435 HIV cases in 2024-25, with the number rising to 14,525 in 2025-26. Health officials attributed the increase partly to expanded screening across the state. Dr Balbir said the government was conducting awareness campaigns and had launched initiatives to encourage drug users to use fresh syringes to prevent HIV transmission. Sakhi Sawhney, project director of the Punjab State AIDS Control Society, said antiretroviral therapy (ART) centres had been mapped on Google Maps to make it easier for people to locate and access them. She urged youngsters to shun the stigma associated with people living with HIV and not to discriminate against them....