We need to take the drug malaise head-on

Following the diktat of the former Police Commissioner Subodh Jaiswal, DGP of Maharashtra, the Mumbai police demolished around 259 paan beedi shops near schools and colleges in the city with the civic body in the last two months. The demolition signifies step 2 of the city police's drive against drugs. Step 1 was registration of drug-related cases.

If, as an official said to this paper, the paan-beedi shops play a major role, with students starting with tobacco and cigarettes and then moving to drugs, this action is welcome and a vital cog in the clean-up wheel.

We hope that along with this action, there are plenty of deterrents for youngsters to fall into the drug trap. Workshops at educational institutes must highlight the danger of addiction. This message cannot be reiterated enough and schools and colleges must never take their feet off the gas pedal when it comes to preventive measures.

Parents, too, must learn to identify signs and symptoms that their children may be taking drugs. Without being alarmist or 'hyper' as the contemporary term goes, parents and caretakers should educate themselves to be more aware and start asking questions if they suspect children may be on the wrong path. Being in denial or simply being unaware in this age of awareness is inexcusable. In this way, institutes can also take the lead in helping parents out with seminars and meets that throw light on this problem.

Today, we have recourse to trained counsellors and several helplines that can be efficacious when dealing with the drugs malaise. These, too, can be harnessed in the fight.

The police can take preventive measures to an extent, other agencies are actually the first responders to this crisis. Take on the drug scourge by fighting on all fronts.

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