Telangana: 738 drug awareness programs held for 1.25 lakh students

Hyderabad: A total of 738 awareness programs on drug abuse have been conducted across Telangana which reached 1,25,000 students so far, according to a report by the Telangana Anti-narcotics Bureau (TGANB).

TGANB highlighted that previously low conviction rate was reported in NDPS cases, with the prohibition and excise department at 4 percent and the police at 11 percent.

To address this, regular training programs are being conducted for investigation Officers, police, prohibition and excise department staff, and court duty police officers. These sessions, held over the past 11 months, focus on the latest investigative procedures for NDPS cases under the New Criminal Laws (NCL)-2023, with support from the RBVRR Telangana police academy in Hyderabad.

According to reports, TGANB has trained 21,246 personnel statewide to date.

Similarly, a four-day training session is being conducted from November 26 to November 29 at Dr Marri Channa Reddy Human Resource and Development Institute, Jubilee Hills which focuses on ‘Drug Abuse in Youth, Intervention Strategies for Prevention, Awareness and Rehabilitation.’

It aims to educate key stakeholders, including educational institutions, IT companies, and other organizations, on tackling drug abuse effectively.

The primary goal of this awareness campaign is to educate students, youth, teachers, lecturers, professors, villagers, software employees, and all Telangana citizens about the harmful effects of drugs. Participants are also encouraged to join the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking by becoming anti-drug soldiers meaning individuals who are committed to never quitting the battle.

This awareness campaign follows a similar successful event held in October where over 940 stakeholders from various departments were trained in drug prevention and intervention strategies.

The TGANB is urging citizens to support this cause by sharing information about drug cultivators, suppliers, and consumers through the toll-free number 1908.