Alert on Sway of Narcotic Substances in Schools

Anantapur:An alert has been sounded as drug peddlers are targeting students and getting them addicted to narcotic substances in schools here.

Of late, students of many government and private schools have shown abnormal behaviour due to suspected consumption of banned as also unbanned products of tobacco and ganja.

A recent survey conducted in government schools under a career guidance initiative led to detection of abnormal behaviour by several students even inside classrooms.

Teachers told the survey teams that students often attended classes in a somewhat inebriated state. Many of them emitted the odour of tobacco products.

Recently, a clash occurred between two groups of students at the Old Town government high school. It is suspected that they were under the influence of narcotic substances.

Four out of the five government high schools here with around 600 students in each reported similar issues.

“We are experiencing bad odour from several students. They were possibly consuming tobacco products mixed with ganja. The behaviour of such students is abnormal with signs also of drowsiness in them,” a government school teacher said.

Following the alert, Anantapur SP Jagadish took the issue seriously and initiated a drive against tobacco and ganza products. Police teams have intensified enforcement and awareness efforts following the seizure of intoxicating chocolates and instances of alarming revelations from a recent career guidance survey.

The sale of such intoxicating products near schools has triggered serious concern among parents.

The police are making efforts to trace and dismantle the networks engaged in the distribution of intoxicating chocolates, especially in areas surrounding educational institutions.

As part of preventive steps, arrangements are also being made to provide psychiatric counselling to students and parents to address addiction-related issues.

In one instance, a parent worried over the worse condition in the school shifted his son to another school.

Anantapur Two Town inspector Srikanth and his team conducted an awareness programme on narcotic drugs at SKD High School in Aravind Nagar here on Wednesday. Srikanth addressed the students and cautioned them against the use of narcotic substances, particularly ganja.

He explained to students that drug abuse not only damaged youths’ physical and mental health but also spoils their future and would lead to serious legal consequences for them.

Sources said a private school on the outskirts of Anantapur dismissed a watchman after it was found he supplied ganja-mixed chocolates to students a few weeks ago.

Recently, the police seized some ganja-mixed chocolates at Dharmavaram railway station in Satya Sai district.

SP Jagadish said he initiated a drive to check petty shops and shops near schools through special drives across the district.