HYDERABAD: Strengthening the state government’s fight against the menace of drugs, Director General of Police (DGP) CV Anand on Monday announced a Government Order (GO) will soon be issued, mandating the formation of Anti-Drugs and Safety Committees in all educational institutions.
Speaking at the inauguration of Anti-Drug Awareness Week at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), Anand said setting up the committees would be compulsory for every educational institution. He warned that institutions failing to comply could face action, including cancellation of licences by the Education department.
The DGP said educational institutions would be required to identify student volunteers or scouts who would alert authorities if they noticed behavioural changes among students that could indicate substance abuse. He also said students and their parents would have to submit an undertaking at the time of admission affirming that they would not engage in drug use.
A senior police source told the TNIE that the initiative would involve both students and the managements of educational institutions. Officials would train committee members, who would then spread awareness within their campuses.
The source said review meetings would be conducted once every three to four months after the GO comes into force. At least two representatives from every institution would be required to attend and brief officials on developments in their colleges or schools. “Periodic meetings are a must after the GO comes,” the source said.
According to the source, students identified as drug users would be referred to de-addiction centres. After treatment, authorities would continue monitoring them through surprise checks and drug tests. Police may also initiate preventive action by binding over offenders, with repeat violations attracting imprisonment or hefty fines.
“The idea is to create deterrence and make students realise that repeated involvement in drugs will have serious consequences,” the source added.
Selling drugs to kids akin to betraying nation: DGP
Addressing the gathering, Anand said drug abuse had spread beyond cities into towns and villages after the Covid-19 pandemic and was now affecting households across the state.
He alleged that drug peddlers often source narcotics through international networks and deliberately create demand among youngsters. “When there is no demand, supply automatically stops. To create demand, some people are mixing drugs into chocolates and selling them near schools through pan shops. They are finding new ways to reach children. This is nothing short of a betrayal of the country,” he said.
The DGP said drug addiction destroys not only individuals but entire families. Recounting one case, he said a businessman with an annual turnover of `3,000 crore was struggling because both his sons had become addicted to drugs despite undergoing treatment at de-addiction centres. “The parents ask what use their wealth is when they cannot save their children from addiction,” he said.
Calling for a collective fight against narcotics, Anand urged police personnel to view the battle against drugs as a fight for their own children’s future. “From a home guard to the DGP, every police officer must play a role. Just as we fought Maoism, we must now fight the drug menace. The cooperation of the Education department and other government departments is equally important,” he said.
EAGLE Director Sandeep Shandilya said nearly 1,000 drug consumers had been identified and sent to de-addiction centres over the past six months. He said surprise checks could act as a deterrent and stressed that enforcement efforts must target both supply and demand. “Fighting only the supply side will not solve the problem. We must also reduce demand,” he said.