Bengaluru: A special anti-drug drive among college students in west Bengaluru has revealed worrying results, with 31 students testing positive for narcotics. Police had collected urine and blood samples from around 1,200 students from private colleges in and around Vijayanagar and randomly tested 585 of them. Now, counselling will be held for those students, and one police officer will be in touch with them for at least three years to ensure recovery from addiction.“This was not a raid but a special drive, carried out with the consent of college authorities. We approached 21 colleges seeking their cooperation. However, only six consented. Also, the management of two boys’ hostels agreed. Then, we held another meeting with doctors from private hospitals who were willing to volunteer for the drive. Finally, we carried it out,” C Vamshi Krishna, joint commissioner of police (west), told TOI.
“We subjected students in year 2 and above to the tests. We didn’t include girls in the drive. We promised the college authorities and the students that their names and other details would be kept confidential,” an officer who was part of the drive said.Deputy commissioner of police (west) Yatish N said the cops would trace the peddlers who supplied drugs to the students. “First, we will take the students and their parents into confidence. The students will be subjected to in-depth counselling by professionals. With the help of the same student, we will get to the peddler and others who are in this trade,” he said.Another senior police officer said most of the students who tested positive for drugs were from other states. “They live either in hostels or PG accommodation. Since there was no one to monitor them, they easily became prey to peddlers,” he said.Police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh told TOI they will extend the special drive to other colleges.“At crime review meetings, we’ve discussed at length the ways to counter the drug menace. We discovered that the younger generation, in particular students, were falling prey to the drug racket. Yes, social media also plays a vital role in luring them. Many students say they tried drugs out of curiosity first and then became addicts. If we succeed in making the younger generation understand the ill effects of drugs, we can say that half the war against drugs is won,” he said.Ban mooted on beveragesThe Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) has recommended a ban on beverages with up to 15% alcohol content and high sugar. In a letter to the commissioner for the department of drug control, KSCPCR has flagged ready-to-drink cocktails, called Buzzballz, being sold near schools and colleges. The rights body has sought a ban on the drink and directed the department to submit an action-taken report within five days.“Any beverage having up to 15% alcohol content and high sugar will have an adverse effect on the health of children. They will get addicted without knowing it,” the commission stated.
