Colleges put on alert to check drug abuse among students in Vijayawada
VIJAYAWADA: A day after Commissioner’s Task Force (CTF) officials sent 55 college-goers to deaddiction and counselling centres for ganja consumption, they alerted all the engineering and degree colleges in the city to monitor the activities of students.
Sources in the department said the youngsters involved in ganja peddling are earning around Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 a month by working only for two hours a day.
“Criminals expand their network by creating groups on social media or at cricket grounds or colleges. They lure students by offering them incentives and special gifts. Vijayawada city is rapidly transforming into a hub of ganja peddling and consumption, with colleges turning hotspots for the illegal business,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity.
The Commissioner’s Task Force officials have so far sent over 200 youngsters who were found consuming ganja to the deaddiction centres in the city.
“We have a dedicated WhatsApp number 7328909090 through which public can report any anti-social activity, including the peddling of ganja and other narcotic substances, to us,” said City Police Commissioner Bathini Sreenivasulu.