Srinagar, Dec 24: Authorities in Kashmir on Wednesday directed educational institutions, including schools, to formulate in-situ de-addiction mechanisms to curb drug abuse among students.
The directions came at a meeting chaired by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Anshul Garg, to review and strengthen measures aimed at curbing the growing menace of substance abuse in the Valley, an official spokesman said.
Emphasising the need for coordinated and sustained efforts by all concerned departments, the divisional commissioner directed educational institutions, including schools and colleges, to establish de-addiction mechanisms within respective campuses, the spokesman added.
Garg instructed that each educational institution shall nominate one male and one female nodal officer responsible for implementation of IEC (information, education and communication) activities, student counselling, identification of vulnerable individuals, and continuous monitoring and tracking of affected students.
During the meeting, the divisional commissioner directed the Waqf authorities to organise orientation programmes for religious leaders to effectively utilise their influence to create awareness regarding the harmful effects of substance abuse and promote social responsibility.
With regard to coaching institutions and student accommodations, the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) here was directed to develop a structured monitoring framework to keep effective oversight on coaching hubs, the spokesman said.
The director of health services was instructed to prepare a comprehensive training calendar for training of educators, with the objective of creating a robust pool of trained resource persons for educational institutions, he said.
Also, the directors of college and school education departments were instructed to compile and submit a list of staff members to be trained and assigned the responsibility of identification, counselling, and monitoring of students vulnerable to substance abuse, the spokesman added.
The senior official emphasised on conducting regular awareness sessions, maintenance of performance reports, and documentation and dissemination of success stories.
The spokesman further said the police was directed to enhance surveillance over identified drug hotspots across Srinagar city and other districts in close coordination with the health department.
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