With drug usage rising in alarming proportion among the young crowd because of the fairly easy availability of these illegal substances, the Hyderabad Police has made it mandatory for schools and colleges across the city to constitute special Anti-Drug committees.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. CV Anand, IPS, shared details about the same.
CURBING DRUG MENACE
Following a serious discussion with the Chief Minister of Telangana, Mr. K Chandrashekhar Rao, regarding the control of narcotics spread in the state, Mr. Anand waved the green flag for the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Special Wing. Within just ten months of the Special wing’s commencement, the city got rid of every single drug peddler residing or working there.
“The special wing worked so well that today, we don’t have a single drug peddler working and supplying drugs in Hyderabad. We are tracking and capturing so-called drug lords from states like Goa and others, who dare to supply in Hyderabad or Telangana,” Mr. Anand told Indian Masterminds.
DRUG TROUBLE IN SCHOOLS
While the city police were working to capture drug peddlers and lords, they realized that the biggest consumers of illegal substances turned out to be young children and school and college-going students. They were the most afflicted ones when it came to consumption.
“Children from classes 11-12 and students from engineering and other colleges were found to be victims of drug abuse. They were making use of the dark web to order and receive drugs from other states. It came to our notice that it was becoming a vicious cycle, sparing none from rich to poor,” shared Mr. Anand.
According to the officer, drug consumption increased twofold during the pandemic. However, the Hyderabad police retrieved the ground immediately and took matters into their hands. They made a list of young children involved in drugs and sent them to rehabilitation centres in and around the city. Over 600-700 students are under rehabilitation currently.
“Apart from the consumers, we are also sending the accusers such as drivers to the rehab,” the officer said.
ANTI-DRUG COMMITTEES
The Hyderabad City Police has now made a deliberate move to protect the increasingly vulnerable young people in colleges and other similar educational institutions, in accordance with instructions from the state Government and as part of the ongoing efforts to reduce the drug problem in the state.
According to an order issued by the Commissioner, it is now mandatory for every school and college of the city to have ‘Anti-Drug Committees’ comprising of a minimum of five members drawn from faculty and students, who will be tasked with preventing drug abuse in the campus.
The team’s primary goal will be to prevent drug misuse by giving young people the life skills they need to handle various situations without using drugs and the capacity to fend off peer pressure to take drugs.
“Lack of parental supervision and peer pressure can cause young individuals to become drug addicts. Once enmeshed, it becomes a ‘black hole’ that devours all the wonderful things in life and causes unimaginable suffering for the victims’ families and the general population. We would like to provide appropriate guidance to these young minds through the ADCs,” Mr. Anand told Indian Masterminds.
ROLE OF THE ADCs
These ADCs, which will operate following guidelines created by the Hyderabad City Police, are tasked with playing a crucial role in raising awareness of the risks associated with drug abuse through a variety of digital campaigns, workshops, and seminars to ensure that their campuses are free from the scourge of illicit drugs.
In addition, the institution’s leader will be asked to call a meeting at the beginning of every academic year to inform the students of the risks associated with drug addiction and to ensure that agencies, the police, parents, and students all work together cooperatively.
The committees will also communicate with the local police to provide information about drug use, possession, sales, and purchases.
“A safe environment enables students to channelise their energies properly and evolve as responsible citizens. To ensure such a milieu, ADCs should work with determination,” said CP Mr. Anand, while reiterating the firm stance of the state government and city police against the illicit drug trade and abuse.
The Hyderabad Police Narcotics Enforcement Wing can be contacted at 8712661601 or 040-27852080 by the public.
