Activists in the capital city illegally painted provocative advertisements promoting illicit substances on public property.
In a joint effort to combat the issue of narcotic substance advertisements, the Yesil district in Astana hosted an anti-graffiti campaign as part of the "Law and Order" campaign. The initiative was primarily organised by local government authorities in partnership with community groups focused on public health and urban cleanliness.
The event, reported by Vechernyaya Astana, saw the participation of various groups, including volunteers from the "Astana Jastary" youth resource centre, local athletes, and bloggers. Notable figures such as Ernar Omarov, vice-president of the Astana Kickboxing Federation, Anatoly Bondar, president of the Astana Automoto Federation, and Sultan Umurgaliev, head of the NEET youth department, also took part in the campaign.
The campaign targeted the removal of markings indicating the addresses of drug dens, replacing them with graffiti that read "No to drugs!". The Astana City Department of Public Order and Housing Services was responsible for the actual removal of graffiti and illegal advertisements.
Anatoly Bondar emphasised the importance of cooperating with law enforcement agencies to eliminate drug-related graffiti and encouraged young people to engage in sports instead of using drugs. Sultan Umurgaliev, on the other hand, encouraged the younger generation to find better alternatives to drugs, such as sports, reading books, and traveling. Ernar Omarov, a staunch opponent of drugs, believes that fighting them with words and actions is necessary.
The campaign serves not only to improve the district’s urban environment but also to promote public health by reducing the visibility of drug advertisements. For those interested in learning more about the specific organisations or officials involved, local news outlets and government press releases from Astana (now known as Nur-Sultan) would be the best current sources.
This collaborative effort in the Yesil district is a testament to the power of community engagement in addressing local issues and fostering a safer, healthier environment for all its residents.
- The "Astana Jastary" youth resource center, a community group that focuses on public health and lifestyle, participated in the anti-graffiti campaign aimed at combating drug-related advertisements and promoting mental health.
- Sultan Umurgaliev, the head of the NEET youth department, encouraged the younger generation to consider health-and-wellness alternatives like sports, reading books, and traveling, instead of resorting to drugs.
