Actor Unni Mukundan said on Saturday that cinema does not promote narcotic abuse but only reflects what is happening in the society. He welcomed an actress speaking out recently against drug use on movie sets calling it a "positive step".

He added that everybody should introspect why drug consumption and crime rate are on the rise in a state where the literacy rate is so high.

It is not right to say that drug abuse and crime rate are increasing under the influence of cinema, Mukundan told reporters here on the sidelines of a programme. Cinema cannot influence the society in that way, he claimed.

The 'Marco'-fame's reaction came in the wake of actress Vincy Aloshious, in a recent complaint lodged with the Film Chamber, accusing actor Shine Tom Chacko of "inappropriate behaviour" towards her on a movie set, under the influence of drugs.

Police on Saturday arrested Chacko in connection with a drug case after about a four-hour-long interrogation over an incident in which he allegedly fled from a hotel in Kochi during a narcotics raid.

"How these contraband substance reach Kerala? How does it reach schools? Who are its carriers? I have been hearing these since my childhood days," Unni Mukundan said.

Authorities, schools and parents should be more vigilant against the increasing drug menace, he said.

Stating that cinema is "soft target" and it alone cannot be blamed for the increasing narcotic abuse, the actor claimed the percentage of film personalities involved in the menace is lower but get more attention as they belong to the entertainment industry.

"Drug menace is everywhere and it is prevalent in all industries," he reiterated.

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