Drug mafia to be eradicated from schools: 'Protective shield' to protect children

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Excise and police have prepared a protective shield to protect children from the drug mafia. There will be surveillance in mufti to detect drug sales in schools, lightning raids on campuses and saliva testing using kits to detect drug use. The licenses of 10 shops selling drugs near schools were recently cancelled. Regular drug dealers will be charged under the central law PIT-NDPS and will be detained for two years without trial. The properties of drug dealers will be confiscated.

Excise had found that there were drug dealings near 1140 schools. 104 schools are hotspots for heavy drug use. Thiruvananthapuram has the highest number of 43. 325 children were found to be using drugs in schools. 31.8% of college students use drugs. Teachers and parents have been trained to identify drug use. A peer group of children including student police has been formed.

Dealers with at least two cases of supplying drugs to students will be detained in preventive detention. A list of 1681 drug traffickers has been prepared. Repeat offenders will be detained under the Central Act. There will be monitoring and vigilance committees and anti-drug clubs consisting of teachers, PTA, public representatives, parents and alumni. Children will be made aware of the physical and mental health problems caused by drug use.

No prior permission is required for the police or excise to conduct raids on campuses. There will be constant checks in hostels. The police will leak the phone details of drug dealers to the excise. There will be a cyber patrol to prevent drug dealing through social media. 1,80,000 teachers have been trained to detect drugs.

Care and protection

• Excise will provide handbooks called Karuthal and Kavacham to all parents and teachers to detect drug abuse in children and identify behavioral changes.
• If children who use drugs are found, confidential counseling and treatment will be provided. No case will be filed against them. Drug sales in college hostels will also be caught. Special vigilance in Plus Two.