The city police on Wednesday launched a new action plan, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Task (ADAPT), to reduce the demand and supply of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through focussed legal action and flawless surveillance. The District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF), under the supervision of District Police Chief (Kozhikode city) K. Sanjaykumar Gurudin, would play the key role in the new drive.
To begin with, the police have prepared a list of 164 drug peddlers - frequent offenders and those who have undergone jail-terms - for constant monitoring. The Assistant Commissioner of Police (Narcotic Cell) was appointed the nodal officer of ADAPT and would coordinate its further implementation in consultation with the Station House Officers and Excise Department squads. The nodal officer would also be responsible for handling the anti-drug awareness programmes with the support of various educational institutions and non-governmental organisations.
The police also released a WhatsApp number, 6238488686, for ensuring a centralised information system for the public to exchange confidential details with the investigation teams. The new helpline numbers would be displayed soon in various public places and on the premises of various educational institutions in the city.
To clamp down on the supply side, the special squads would conduct surprise checks in long distance bus services covering the border points. This would be in addition to the routine inspections covering the vulnerable areas such as bus stands, railway stations and parcel booking offices. The support of the dog squad too would be ensured.
Mr. Gurudin, who came up with the new initiative, said that the drive also had steps to be carried out by parents for better results by leaving aside their “not my kid” syndrome. “There are even instances where the children of the persons who work against drug abuse are using drugs. A checklist will be published by the Narcotics Cell with warning signs and symptoms by which parents can identify if their kids are involved in any form of drug abuse,” he said.
De-addiction and rehabilitation support too would be part of the new action plan in the city. The list of de-addiction centres and non governmental organisations specialised in giving rehabilitation support would be prepared for helping needy persons. Officials said the de-addiction centre under the control of the Excise Department too would be considered for the purpose.