Mandya Deputy Commissioner Dr. Kumar has called for coordinated efforts from all departments to prevent drug abuse among youth and stop narcotics from entering the district.
Mandya
Mandya Deputy Commissioner Dr. Kumar has stressed the urgent need to implement strong preventive measures to stop drugs from entering the district, warning that youth and schoolchildren are destroying their lives through addiction.
Presiding over the District Tobacco Control and Coordination Committee meeting held at his office on Monday, Dr. Kumar said all schools and a 100-metre radius around them were earlier recommended to be declared tobacco-free zones. He directed officials to submit details on how many schools have displayed the required signboards.
Expressing concern that students are increasingly falling prey to drug abuse, Dr. Kumar urged the Education Department to take proactive steps to identify and reform affected children. He recalled that a letter campaign on the ill effects of drugs was initiated in the previous meeting, with participation from 119 college students. He suggested expanding the initiative to include more schoolchildren for greater awareness.
Dr. Kumar also highlighted that cannabis cultivation often occurs in forest regions and instructed forest officials to intensify inspections to prevent such activities. He warned that cannabis could be secretly grown among other crops without detection. District Health Officer Dr. Mohan Kumar, Excise Deputy Commissioner Thimmaraju, Committee Member and Senior Advocate M. Guruprasad, Dr. Asha, and other officials were present at the meeting, where strategies to strengthen enforcement and community awareness were also discussed.
