ISLAMABAD  -  In an alarming revelation, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Tuesday said that 170 million students in 237 universities across the country remain vulnerable to drug abuse.

The warning came by the ANF officials during the meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights. Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri chaired the proceedings. The panel delved into the growing trend of drug usage among students and the steps undertaken by the relevant departments for the prevention of this menace.

Officials from the Anti-Narcotics Force informed the participants of the meeting that the ANF initiated a drug awareness campaign in the 237 universities across the country back in February 2024. They said that Pakistani youth remain vulnerable to the menace of drug abuse and trafficking adding increased drug prevalence among Pakistani youth is a stark reality. They said students become its prime target.

The officials further said that they uncovered 31 drug traffickers and seized 140 kg of drugs. The Committee highlighted the lack of scientific evidence or statistics providing reasons for growing drugs usage among the students. The Committee opined that scientific evidence could play a pivotal role in combating the drug’s menace.

Chairperson Committee pointed out that she hasn’t witnessed any advertisement campaign initiated by the Ministry highlighting adverse effects of drugs. Senator Zehri maintained that the vapes, which has adverse effects on human health, are being sold in stores across Islamabad, and no one cares to crack them down. She directed the ministry to provide comparative analysis, highlighting the outcomes of the campaigns undertaken under the guidance of the ministry in the upcoming meeting. Chairperson NCRC, Ayesha Raza Farooq, stated that campaigns featuring teachers and parents should be initiated at school level to curb the growing menace of drugs. She also highlighted the declining play time among students, which, she believed, plays a major role in inclining students towards drug usage.

Officials of Federal Directorate of Education apprised the meeting about the mechanism adopted for the prevention of drugs across the 432 public institutions located in Islamabad. They informed that the schools are instructed to do random checks to detect drug usage, and FDE has also introduced a curriculum highlighting the effects of drugs with the aim to discourage drug usage among the younger generation.

The FDE also initiated a campaign in collaboration with Taskeen app and Umre Rawan, extending psychological assistance to students suffering from any mental illness. The Committee directed the FDE to submit all the books containing chapters focusing drugs awareness content in the upcoming meeting.

DIG police ICT informed the meeting that around 78 cases have been registered from 2023 to date, and 735 individuals have been arrested, with 131 kgs of drugs seized.