Shan AS By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Growing drug abuse among students in the city has become a headache to cops. To combat this trend, the police are all set to form anti-narcotics clubs in educational institutions. Though these clubs are active in colleges, it is for the first time they are being extended to schools. The decision was taken by the city police after they found out that school students formed the bulk of drug users. As per plans of the city police and its anti-narcotics wing, the clubs would comprise representatives of the police, students and teachers. School principals head the clubs which have five to 10 students and the local police station inspector on board. PTA representatives are to be consulted before planning club activities, a police source said. Narcotics Cell Assistant Commissioner Sheen Tharayil said the drive against drugs is slated to get stronger once the clubs begin to function. “Students can inform us about suppliers. The information collected from them will be handed over to the police. Students who use drugs are to be given counselling and de-addiction therapy if needed,” he said. However, those students won’t be subjected to legal action. The shadow police would follow up the leads obtained from students and clamp down on peddlers, Sheen added. In the initial phase, clubs are slated to be formed in government schools. “Private schools have strong managements and they can handle the situation. It’s in government schools that drug abuse poses a bigger threat. So, our priority is to start clubs in public schools,” said a senior city police officer. The district of late has seen a spurt in drug-related cases. In 2018, more than 1,500 NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act cases were registered in the district. This year, the number is likely to go up. Till May, 530 NDPS cases were registered in the city itself. As per Narcotics Cell sources, more than 700 kg of ganja was seized so far this year while it was 261 kg last year. As per a survey conducted by Childline Trivandrum, 28.7 per cent of students in the district used drugs at least once last year. Officials sources said apart from ganja, costlier drugs like hashish oil, a derivative of ganja, and cocaine are being smuggled into the state in large quantities. Official sources estimate cocaine and related drugs worth Rs 1,000 crore were seized in the past two years. According to Excise Minister TP Ramakrishnan, drugs worth Rs 600 crore were seized in the state in the past six months alone. Since the LDF Government came to power, more than 18,868 NDPS cases were registered.

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