LAHORE: Chief Secretary retired Major Azam Suleman on Monday directed the authorities to establish rehabilitation centres for drug addicts in three big cities of the province, besides taking measures to control use of narcotics, especially in educational institutes and jails.

He issued these directions while presiding over a meeting at his office at the Civil Secretariat. In the light of Lahore High Court’s directions, detailed deliberations were made during the meeting to stop drug abuse.

Speaking at the meeting, the chief secretary said that implementation of the action plan prepared for controlling drug abuse in the province must be ensured as progress would be reviewed regularly. He ordered that rehabilitation centres for drug addicts be set up in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan as a pilot project.

He also mentioned that there was a need to enhance public awareness about the harms of drug abuse. Ulema and civil society could play a vital role in the government’s efforts to free the society from this menace, he added.

The CS directed that work on health profiling of students to control use of narcotics in educational institutes be completed on time. He also issued instructions for preparing a database of drug addicts, health profiling of prisoners and their biometric verification. The meeting was briefed that work on health profiling of students in all educational institutes of the province would be completed by March 31.

The meeting was attended by additional chief secretary (home), administrative secretaries of higher education, schools education, specialised healthcare, primary and secondary healthcare, social welfare, the prisons inspector general (IG) and additional IG (operations).

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2019