Charas, cannabis epidemic hits Karachi schools and colleges

Karachi, June 9 (ANI): A recent meeting was called by Sindh government discussed that top schools and colleges should be ‘closely monitored’ in the wake of soaring cases of drug abuse in institutes.

This decision was taken at a meeting of the provincial Narcotics Interdiction Committee (NIC), which was chaired by the Chief Secretary of Sindh, Mr Fazal-ur-Rehman.

Participants demanded enhanced coordination between the law-enforcement agencies and other organizations to curb the narcotics menace.

According to The News, President of Pakistan Society, Dr Saleem Azam, whose organisation has been treating drug addicts since 1982, said that charas, marijuana, cannabis, “ecstasy” tablets and “dating drug or club drug” (MAMD) were being increasingly consumed by youths at an alarming level.

“Depression and peer pressures” were cited as the main reasons for the abuse.

Azam opined that youths needed to be informed about the abuse, and recreational facilities should be created to take them off drugs. Parent involvement was also vital for children. He also added that religious scholars should be encouraged to take up this issue in their sermons.

The doctor raised his concerns about the social acceptability of the drug even though “drug-induced psychosis, hallucinations and non-motivation” were some of the harmful effects of charas.

He also added that ecstasy, which was being imported from China, India and Thailand, was increasing in popularity and that the demand had gone up manifolds and this could be gauged from the fact that around three years ago, the ANF used to seize 80 to 100 such drugs, but now they were seizing hundreds of such drugs at the airports.

Another drug, the “dating drug” was also increasing among the affluent people. This drug triggered “rash behaviour”, which sometimes led to abuse and even rape. (ANI)