Hyderabad: Children are being lured into drug use through chocolates and spiked drinks, Telangana officials warned at the Anti-Drug Awareness Programme Week inauguration on Monday, raising concern over the growing reach of narcotics among school and college students.The event drew around 1,100 participants, including NCC cadets, govt school students and others.Director of EAGLE Force Sandeep Shandilya said surprise screenings should be conducted in educational institutions to identify users early and help curb the spread of drugs among students. He said teachers and students were being trained as ‘anti-drug soldiers’ and were already carrying out fieldwork to identify warning signs and report suspicious activity.Addressing the programme, Telangana DGP CV Anand said, “All superintendents of police have been directed to take charge in their districts and ensure that no drug networks are allowed to operate in their areas.”He also said every educational institution should have an anti-drug and safety wing. The DGP also made it clear that if students were found using drugs outside educational institutions, it would remain the responsibility of the institution. Anand urged parents to spend more time with their children and watch for behavioural changes that could indicate substance abuse.Officials, while speaking to TOI, said there was a need for undertakings from parents as part of anti-drug measures in educational institutions.Principal secretary (Education) Yogitha Rana said every educational institution must have a dedicated system to protect students from drug abuse. “Prevention is the best medicine,” she said.Customs officials at the event said they had noticed an increase in hydroponic weed being smuggled from eastern countries.Shandilya said around 1,000 drug users had been sent to rehabilitation and de-addiction centres in the last six months.
