Anti-drug committee must in educational institutions: CV Anand

HYDERABAD: To tackle drug addiction, all educational institutions must now form an anti-drug committee with a minimum of five members drafted from among teachers and students, said Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand on Monday.

In a press release, he said that the committee's primary objective was to prevent drug abuse among young people by equipping them with the life skills. These life skills are needed to handle a variety of situations without resorting to drugs besides developing the ability to resist peer pressure to use drugs, he felt.

The Hyderabad City Police has issued a notification in order to protect the increasingly vulnerable young people in universities and other similar educational institutions, in accordance with State Government orders, and as part of ongoing efforts to tackle the drug menace in the state, he added.

CV Anand feels that a lack of parental supervision and peer pressure usually lead to young people becoming addicted to narcotics. He believes that, once a person becomes addicted, it becomes a black hole that consumes all good things in life and creates terrible pain in their family and to the general public.

According to the police, since the time the colleges have restarted after the pandemic-induced disruption during the last two years, they have implemented a two-pronged strategy of legal action and sensitization of the youth, which gradually reduces the demand in the illicit drug trade.

The Hyderabad police also urged the institution's head to conduct meetings at the beginning of the year to educate students on the hazards of drug consumption and to ensure a coordinated approach among parents, staff, students, agencies and the police.

These committees will also work with local police to provide information about drug use, possession, sale, or purchase. Citizens can contact the Hyderabad Police Narcotics Enforcement Wing at 8712661601 or 040-27852080.