Mangaluru : Educational institutions and organisations working in the field of de-addiction expressed concern over teenagers falling prey to narcotic and psychotropic drugs.

Speaking at a meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Pattanayak S.K. here on Monday, Lidia Lobo from Link De-addiction and Counselling Centre said many youths aged between 16 and 18 were getting addicted to drugs. “While we have succeeded to de-addict alcohol consumers, we have not achieved any success with drug addicts,” Ms. Lobo said.

She said these youngsters were prone to substance abuse. “They are very rude. It has become difficult to walk on the road during evenings fearing attacks from people under influence of drugs. A week ago I reported some boys to police,” she said.

A representative from Sahyadri Engineering College said though they have been strict in the hostels the college has no control over the activities of students staying outside hostels. While 100 students stay in their hostel, around 500 students stay in paying guest accommodations. “We have rusticated some students, but no avail. We are openly questioned and offered money to take back the decision,” the representative said.

A representative from Alvas Engineering College in Moodbidri said there was a network of students and the drug sellers. Students know where drugs are available and they have been approaching those outlets to get it. He said that despite steps by management to get such outlet closed these are operating just a day after police action. “Students openly say the perpetrator paid some money to police to start the outlet,” he said.

Hilda Rayappan from Prajna Counselling Centre said they have so far treated 18,290 persons in the last 24 years at their three de-addiction centres in city. Ms. Rayappan said after de-addiction children are kept for nearly a year at Chinnara Tangudhama while women are kept in Santwana Kendra. “This has been really effective,” said Ms. Rayappan while expressing difficulty in running the three centres in absence of regular grants from the State government.

Additional Director-General of Police (Internal Security) T. Suneel Kumar and ADGP (Intelligence) A.M. Prasad, Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) Amrith Paul, Commissioner of Police S. Murugan, Superintendents of Police from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Karwar and Coastal Security Police attended the meeting. Deputy Commissioner A.B Ibrahim, officials from Narcotic Crime Bureau, Coast Guards and Central Industrial Security Force were also present.