31 students test positive for drug use during anti-drug drive in West Bengaluru

As part of a Statewide crackdown on drug abuse among youth, the Bengaluru City Police on Wednesday conducted large-scale drug screening across educational institutions in Vijayanagar Sub-Division under the West Division, with 31 students testing positive for substance abuse.

More than 1,200 students were subjected to urine sample collection, of which 585 samples were randomly tested. Officials confirmed that 31 samples returned positive for drug consumption.

The police said students who tested positive would be provided counselling by mental health professionals and necessary medical support. Authorities assured that the identities and family details of those tested positive would be kept strictly confidential.

The inspections were carried out under the “Sanmitra” initiative, a reformative programme introduced on the directions of M.A. Saleem, Director General and Inspector General of Police, Karnataka, to build a drug-free society.

The officials said that the “Sanmitra” initiative adopts a compassionate and reformative approach, focusing on guidance and rehabilitation rather than punitive action, with dedicated police personnel assigned to monitor and support individuals undergoing de-addiction.

The drive led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Yatheesh N. conducted N-MASS (Narcotics Monitoring, Assistance and Screening System) checks on Wednesday in six educational institutions and two hostels after obtaining consent and no-objection certificates from the respective managements. The operation was carried out with the support of doctors, technicians and staff from nearby hospitals.