Govt plans drug abuse screening in colleges

Three-member committees will be constituted to oversee the drug screening process


Safdar Rizvi January 09, 2025
Experts say quality of donors needs to be better. PHOTO: FILE

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KARACHI:

The Sindh government will conduct drugs abuse screening in all educational institutions in the province, starting with government colleges. In this regard, a formal notification has already been issued by College Education Department Secretary Asif Ikram.

Three-member committees will be constituted to oversee the drug screening process, according to the notification. Each committee will comprise the director general of colleges, regional director for the respective district, and the principal of the concerned college.

Teams from the Sindh Health Department, accompanied by officers from the College Education Department, will make surprise visits to government colleges. These teams will conduct drug abuse screening tests on a select number of students, although the selection criteria are not specified yet.

Sindh Director General of Colleges Dr Naveed Rab said that the screening will be carried out under the supervision of college officials. The Health Department is working on establishing rules and regulations to determine how colleges will be selected and the parameters for conducting the screening.

Dr Rab further stated that discussions are ongoing regarding the process of obtaining student consent for screening. The Sindh Anti-Narcotics Department and other relevant officials will be involved to help eliminate the drug menace from the educational institutions.

The notification further states that seminars, workshops, and awareness sessions will be organised in colleges to educate students on the dangers of drug use and its hazardous effects on their education and future prospects.

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