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31 students test positive during anti-drug screening drive in West Bengaluru
The West Division police in Bengaluru said students who tested positive would receive counselling from mental health professionals, along with necessary medical support.
The police conducted checks in six educational institutions and two hostels in West Bengaluru. (Photo by special arrangement)
Thirty-one students tested positive during a drug screening conducted in educational institutions in the Vijayanagar sub-division of West Bengaluru on Wednesday. This was part of the Sanmitra initiative launched by the Karnataka Police to promote a drug-free society, officials said on Thursday.
The West Division police carried out the screening as part of a statewide crackdown on substance abuse among youth. The initiative aims to curb drug use among students and spread awareness in educational institutions across the state.
As part of the exercise, N-MASS (Narcotics Monitoring, Assistance and Screening System) checks were conducted in six educational institutions and two hostels after obtaining consent and no-objection certificates from their management.
According to officials, more than 1,200 students provided urine samples, and 585 of those samples were randomly tested. Of these, 31 samples returned positive results for drug consumption.
The screening process was carried out with assistance from doctors, technicians, and staff from nearby hospitals, including Punya Hospital, Padmadevayya Hospital, KADE Hospital, Sharavathi Hospital, Sri Lakshmi Multi-Speciality Hospital, and Kangaroo Care Hospital.
The police said students who tested positive would receive counselling from mental health professionals, along with necessary medical support. Authorities added that the students’ identities and family details would be kept strictly confidential.
“For now, counselling is being conducted and information is being gathered from the students, many of whom are from different states and districts. The drive will continue in other colleges, and parents will be involved in the counselling sessions in the coming days,” said Yatheesh N, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West).
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Officials said the Sanmitra initiative follows a reformative approach that focuses on counselling, guidance and rehabilitation rather than punitive action, with dedicated police personnel assigned to monitor and support those undergoing de-addiction.
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