LHC orders concrete steps to curb drug abuse in educational institutions

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed relevant authorities to take concrete steps on an urgent basis to curb drug abuse in educational institutions and sought an implementation report, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) issued the directives while hearing a petition filed by the Judicial Activism Panel for seeking a ban on smoking and narcotics consumption in educational institutions.

During the hearing, a consultant on anti-narcotics campaign submitted the health profile report regarding the educational institutions. The report stated that 17 educational institutions were visited and most of the centres failed to prepare health profile reports.

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The petitioner’s lawyer apprised the court that drugs and cigarettes are being sold in the vicinity of educational institutions.

President, prime minister and concerned officials have been sent letters to take actions, however, concrete steps to curb the menace of drugs were not taken on government level so far, said the lawyer, the students are becoming drug addict due to selling of drugs and cigarettes in the education centres.

The counsel pleaded LHC judge to issue orders for imposing a complete ban on narcotics and narcotics in the vicinity of educational institutions.

Later, the court ordered relevant authorities to immediately take concrete steps for curbing drug abuse in educational institutions besides summoning the implementation report.