KOCHI: Ernakulam district, which has been on top in narcotic substance- and drugs-related cases in the state, claimed another undesirable record. It has most youngsters below the age of 21 booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in recent years.Excise department data shows that 917 youths under the age of 21 were booked in NDPS cases in Kerala in 2020. Kottayam (151) topped the list followed by Thrissur (150), with Ernakulam registering 146. In 2021, the statewide total came down to 605. Ernakulam (122) was on top followed by Thrissur (91) and Idukki (87). This year, until April, 278 youngsters under 21 were booked in the state. Ernakulam (62) Kottayam (41) and Alappuzha (39) finished in top three.
Ernakulam Deputy Excise Commissioner P V Elias said a specific reason could not be said in the case of the district. “It may be because of the high density of population. Or, maybe, the floating population in Ernakulam is more compared to other districts. The high number of drug seizures in the district could also be a reason,” he said.
Under its Vimukthi project, the excise department is taking de-addiction measures across Kerala. The department will soon launch a dedicated de-addiction centre for women and children in the district. Counselling is being given to youngsters arrested in NDPS cases. The department is also running anti-drug campaigns at schools and colleges regularly. Elias believes counselling for children alone won’t yield any result.
“It’s the parents who must be given counselling to monitor their children daily. They should know whether their children are indulged in any illegal activities including drug abuse. Parents of most of the youngsters whom we arrest with drugs do not believe their wards were into drug abuse,” he said.
Another excise official in the district said NDPS cases involving youngsters are handled with caution by the department. “NDPS is a serious offence and the future of youngsters booked under it would be bleak. However, what we have understood is that the de-addiction programme succeeds only when such youngsters volunteer for it and not join it out of compulsion of their parents and family members,” an officer said.