Police seek colleges’ help to weed out drug menace

Coimbatore: Despite the ban, use of banned tobacco products and ganja-laced products is high among college students, said representatives of anti-drug clubs, who attended a meeting at PSG Arts and Science College on Friday.Students and faculty members said the banned products are widely available in the city and are sold in petty shops near colleges.The representatives urged the city police to take strict action against drug dealers. “Banned tobacco products are sold in shops in Kattoor, Race Course and RS Puram. Ganja-laced chocolates are available in and around Ukkadam. Use of Cool Lip, a tobacco product, is prevalent on campuses,” a representative said.Additional director general of police K Shankar, who convened the meeting, sought the help of students, teachers and parents to check the menace. “The general public should cooperate with police in eradicating drugs. We had set up anti-drug clubs in educational institutions with this aim,” he said.College students have access to banned tobacco products despite efforts taken by police to curb the menace, city police commissioner V Balakrishnan said. “Students of some colleges are sourcing drugs from places such as Bengaluru for their use,” he said.Shankar later conducted review meetings with police personnel in the presence of higher officials including Balakrishnan and west zone IG K Sudhakar. “I have instructed police to improve the efficiency of receptionists in stations, identify accident-prone places and increase visible policing at night to bring down crime rate,” he told reporters.