Increase in drug addiction witnessed in Punjab's educational institutions

LAHORE: Drug addiction has increased among students in educational institutions, disclosed members of the Punjab Higher Education Commission on Thursday.

Punjab Higher Education Director General Human Resources Mohammad Anis informed Geo News that according to the information received from surveys conducted by a number of NGOs, drug abuse is present within educational institutions.

“No one can deny the fact that it is there – but the question is how much the menace has penetrated into our educational system. What we know right now is that drugs are being used equally by both genders. In colleges and universities, with the ratio being very high.”

Anti-narcotics consultant Syed Zulfikar Hussain claimed that 60 per cent of students in class 9 and 10 are smokers, further adding that the availability of narcotics is higher in private educational institutions.

“There are shisha cafes in Lahore where young people go to buy drugs and smoke drug-infused shishas,” he said.

Hussain added that in universities, where students usually come from higher-income families, drugs such as crystal meth, cocaine, hashish, heroin and LSD tablets are used. 

“One LSD tablet costs Rs.3,000. When it comes to universities, injections, Charas and alcohol are available for the students.”

According to sources, drugs are taken inside educational facilities by security guards, canteen staffers and other such employees of the instituitions.