Eluru: Call for elimination of drugs

Eluru: District Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh has directed the officials to draft a strong action plan to clamp down drug use in the district. He held a review meeting with drug control and child trafficking officials at the Collectorate here on Wednesday.

The Collector said that the officials formulate and implement a joint action plan to eliminate the use of drugs and child trafficking, which destroys the bright future of children. Parents' Committees and teaching staff should take measures to identify those with symptoms of drug addiction in schools and colleges and take measures to provide treatment at de-addiction centres to help those affected by drugs.

The women police should conduct a survey on the children, who have dropped out of school between the ages of 14 to 18 years in the Secretariat area and take steps to prevent them from getting affected by drugs. Collector Venkatesh instructed the officials to work in coordination to make the district a drug-free district. CCTV must be installed in all medical shops and drug inspectors should focus on the sale of anaesthetic drugs used for the treatment of various diseases without a doctor's prescription. RBSK Project Officer Dr Manasa said that children should not become drug addicts. She said that special vigilance should be done in schools and colleges and awareness programmes should be organized on the side effects of drugs.