Across-the-board drug tests for students

Screening to be conducted at schools, colleges, varsities

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PESHAWAR:

An agreement has been reached between the Peshawar district administration and private organisation Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF) to eliminate drug addiction from educational institutions, colleges, and universities in Peshawar.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Peshawar Assistant Commissioner Haroon Saleem, MERF Medical Superintendent Dr Qazi Shahbaz Moeenuddin, and representatives from the Commissioner Peshawar office.

Under Phase 3 of the MERF-led Drug-Free Peshawar Campaign, free tests will be conducted for students in all schools, colleges, and universities across the district. The organisation will provide a specialised teams of doctors and pathologists to support the campaign.

MERF will also conduct free tests, including CBC, hepatitis, drug screenings, and other essential diagnostics for individuals taken into custody during the campaign.

The Peshawar district administration is supervising the third phase of the ongoing Drug-Free Peshawar operation, which is being expanded to cover all educational institutions to protect future generations from the scourge of drug addiction.

Special teams comprising the Department of Social Welfare and Excise have been formed to carry out operations at various locations in Peshawar.

These teams are responsible for identifying and transporting drug addicts to rehabilitation centers, where they are provided with free government treatment, food, and accommodation to help them become productive citizens.

Drug addiction remains a significant challenge in Peshawar, with recent data highlighting the severity of the issue.