THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sweets, soft drinks and chewing gums are rampant in the school premises making children addicted to drugs. It is suspected that they contain mild chemical intoxication. To prevent this, the Food Safety Department conducted inspections in 3,500 shops in various school premises in the state. 720 suspicious samples are being tested in the lab. 'Kerala Kaumudi' pointed out the sale of alcoholic sweets in the school premises in the series 'Makkale Mayangalle'.

The Food Safety Department has received information that there is a huge demand for special types of sweets and colas in the shops around the school premises. Many parents have raised this issue. Sour candy and Mickey Mouse bubblegum are in huge demand among kids. From Mickey Mouse and Superman to King Kong, these candies are not just candy, they're addictive candy. Bubble gums are also available in this way. These mildly intoxicating candies are the trigger for drug use. Cartoons attract children and subsequently make them addicted if consumed regularly. 200 LSD stamps with gorilla images were also seized recently.

A red-coloured juice available for Rs 10 is also popular among children. It foams like beer in a glass and is similar to beer in taste and smell. When the police got suspicious, the sample was tested in the forensic lab and the alcohol content was zero. But the intoxication of this leads children astray. These mildly intoxicating drinks are a stepping stone to drug use. Packets of tobacco called 'Cool' are also being sold clandestinely near schools. When a little pressure is pressed between the lips and the teeth, the lips are cut and the intoxication of the tobacco mixes with the blood.

Chalk candy, dark chocolate

Intoxicated products reach children under the names of chalk candy, crystal, sugar granulated sugar candy, and dark chocolate. Drugs also come in the form of stickers which can be placed under the tongue. Since they are colourless and odourless, they are not easy for teachers and parents to find. The lab-made drug can freeze the brain for up to 12 hours. There is a situation where children turn to criminal activities and drug sales for money to buy and use drugs.

An addiction that takes life

The world's strongest LSD stamp was seized from a final year B.Tech student of an engineering college in Kochi. The drug 'Paradise-650' freezes the brain for more than 48 hours. Death is guaranteed if consumption increases. The stamp which costs 7000 rupees per one was bought by courier from Chennai.