Mangaluru: Deputy chief minister and home minister G Parameshwara is not far from the truth when he says the drug menace in Karnataka is not as serious as it is in Punjab. But, if not controlled, the state will also go the Punjab way. This is true as far as the coast is concerned, and unless the authorities crack down with an iron hand, the coast will join the ‘udta’ brigade.Over the years, in the education hub of Karnataka, rampant drug abuse among youngsters has been one of the key problems, which has still not come under control in spite of a crack down by the authorities. Every year, the graph of drug seizures is going north, which is a clear sign that drug abuse has deep roots in the coastal districts.According to activists, many youngsters in the city have put their future at stake after falling prey to drugs. Some of them are at rehabilitation centres, who are between 18 to 30. A year ago, a 17-year-old studious PU student from a prominent college fell prey to drug abuse due to peer pressure and easy availability of drugs outside her college. Her addiction led to her to become a victim of substance abuse, and forced her to quit her course. She is currently undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation centre.Seizure of large quantities of drugs under the NDPS Act is too a clear indication of an active drug mafia in the communally-sensitive region. However, the burning issue against which none are protesting, barring activists, has become political fodder for parties in recent days. With parties indulging in mud-slinging, nothing concrete has been done to root out the drug menace. “Bringing up the issue is just for the sake of election gimmicks. Once the elections are over, no one speaks about it in Dakshina Kannada ,” said an activist while speaking to TOI.Sources reveal that youngsters are more vulnerable to drug addiction, and peddlers target them due to this, and get them hooked on to narcotics. The most popular drug, marijuana, comes into the district from Shivamogga, the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border, Ballari and Kerala.The primary target of drug peddlers is youngsters, and their business thrives near educational institutions. Drug peddling is active wherever there are education institutions, and even some students are involved in it. A student from a prestigious engineering college was caught with a huge amount of ganja in Udupi recently. In Dakshina Kannada, the highest number of drug peddlers are active in Surathkal, Kavoor, Panambur, North and Bajpe, Bantwal (Rural and Town), Vittal and Puttur (Rural and Town) police station limits.Sharan Pumpwell, secretary, VHP Mangaluru division, alleges that students from Kerala too are actively involved in the drug trade. “Along with studies, to make quick bucks, students bring ganja and other drugs from Kerala to the city and sell it here. This has been going on for a long time, but has not been tackled,” he says while speaking to TOI.Ganja commonly available drug in cityThis institution based cross-sectional study conducted in different schools and colleges of Mangaluru by the department of community medicine, K S Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (deemed to be university), Mangaluru, have revealed that ganja is consumed in large quantities in the city.Recent incidents of crimes committed under the influence of drugs*A fisherman was allegedly murdered by youths under the influence of ganja at Mogaveera Patna under Ullal police station limits in April, 2016* Seven youths hacked rowdy-sheeter Vamanjoor Rohi to death in front of his two-year-old child and wife. They committed the crime under the influence of narcotics. The incident took place on August 19, 2016.* Last February, youth addicted to ganja stripped and filmed their friend, only to blackmail him to provide them money to buy more marijuana. The case was registered at the Mangaluru Rural police station.Box on data seizureMangaluru City commissionerateYear/cases/ arrests/quantity and price2014---21—12---11.99 kg ganja (Rs 2,04,860)2015—49-70--16.65 kg ganja and Rs 10 lakh worth Lysergic Acid Diethylmpide (13,08,050)2016-239-306-109.23 kg ganja (Rs 20,54,330)2017---278—390—100.51 kg ganja (Rs 34.48 lakh)Mohammed Haneef, from Kozhikode in Kerala, was arrested with 4.5 kg of ganja at the Mangalore International Airport while he was smuggling it to Doha in the second week of September.Till June 2018--- 64—93 --- 29.6 kg (Rs 5.6 lakh).Dakshina Kannada district policeYear/kg/cases2013/500grams/82014/1kg/72015/1kg/82016/18kg/162017/103.6kg/252018/8.71kg/10

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