NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday flagged off the “Start Run, Stop Drugs” anti-drug awareness run at Chennai’s Marina Beach to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking before joining hundreds of participants for the event. Dressed in tracks, sneakers and sunglasses, Vijay drew loud cheers as he ran alongside participants wearing a “Start Run, Stop Drugs” T-shirt. Aerial visuals showed long stretches of Marina Beach Road filled with runners taking part in the awareness campaign.Before the run began, the chief minister wrote the slogan “Sporta Edu, Drugs Vidu” (Take up sports and give up drugs) on an awareness board. Several ministers present at the venue also signed the board in support of the campaign.Tamil Nadu sports minister Aadhav Arjuna ran alongside Vijay during the event, while other ministers joined him at different stages of the run.The chief minister also administered an anti-drug pledge, urging people to stay away from narcotics, help friends and family members overcome addiction, and support efforts to eliminate drug abuse from society.The awareness run came a day after Vijay launched the state’s anti-drug anthem as part of the Tamil Nadu government’s wider campaign against substance abuse.Eliminating drugs has been one of the flagship promises of the ruling TVK government. The administration has repeatedly linked the drug menace to deteriorating law and order and crimes against women. During his reply to the motion of thanks on the Governor’s address earlier this week, Vijay accused the previous government of failing to curb the unrestricted movement of narcotics across the state.The Marina Beach run was part of statewide programmes organised on the International Day Against Drug Abuse, with a focus on encouraging young people to choose sports and healthy lifestyles over substance abuse.