Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): In a major push to tackle drug abuse in Punjab, the Central Government has planned a school-level awareness campaign under which Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials will interact directly with students in government and private institutions. The initiative aims to protect young people from substance abuse while encouraging them to play an informed role in the fight against drug trafficking.
The campaign will focus on prevention and awareness, with NCB officers explaining how drug peddlers approach young people, the methods they use to lure potential users and the harmful consequences of consuming narcotics. Students will also be encouraged to act as a ‘third eye’ against the drug menace by sharing credible information about trafficking activities through designated channels.
The Union Ministry of Education has issued directions to the Punjab government to facilitate these interactions across schools. The programme is intended to reach students before they become vulnerable to experimenting with drugs.
Private schools also required to participate
The initiative will cover both government and private educational institutions. According to instructions issued through the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Punjab, District Education Officers will coordinate with school heads to ensure that awareness sessions are organised in their respective districts.
Participation will not be restricted to government schools. Private institutions will also be required to conduct the proposed programmes, ensuring wider coverage among school-going children.
NCB Zonal Directors to lead awareness sessions
NCB Zonal Directors have been designated as resource persons for the campaign. They will visit schools and explain the strategies commonly used by drug traffickers, including inducements, deception and other methods of targeting young people.
The sessions will also cover the physical and psychological damage associated with illicit substances, synthetic drugs and injectable narcotics. Students will be made aware of the risks of drug experimentation and the long-term consequences of addiction.
If in-person meetings cannot be arranged because of time constraints, the ministry’s directions allow NCB officials to connect with students through online sessions. The objective is to ensure that every school gets an opportunity to participate.
Students to learn how to resist peer pressure
A major component of the programme will be helping students deal with peer pressure. Officials believe that some young people are introduced to drugs through friends or social groups and may experiment simply to fit in.
NCB personnel will therefore focus on building students’ confidence to refuse such offers and make informed decisions. The campaign will encourage children to recognise risky situations and seek help rather than give in to pressure.
Confidential channel planned for sharing information
Alongside awareness activities, the NCB intends to involve students in identifying drug-related activities in their surroundings. The agency hopes that greater awareness among young people will help generate useful information about traffickers and their networks.
Officials have indicated that the identity of any child sharing information will be kept confidential. A mechanism is also proposed on the NCB’s official portal, narcoticsindia.nic.in, to enable children to provide information.
The initiative places prevention at the centre of the government’s anti-drug strategy, with the aim of reducing the vulnerability of schoolchildren and discouraging the demand for narcotics at an early age. By taking the campaign directly into classrooms, the Centre hopes to make students active participants in efforts to curb drug abuse in Punjab.
