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Crackdown on shops selling drugs to schoolchildren
View(s):The government is to conduct island-wide educational programmes on narcotics and similar substances sold near schools a senior official said.
National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) Chairman, Saman Abeysinghe said the NDDCB have learned that school children are being tempted into using drugs.
He explained that shops near schools are targeted by the drug mafia to conduct their activities in luring children to drugs. “There are drugs available under many names, forms and sizes which are wrapped as sweets and sometimes even sugar-coated,” he said. Some of the names of these substances are Dul and Strawberry next.
“We will name the upcoming two-week period as anti-drug weeks and conduct educational programmes for students. The police, members of the president-appointed special task force on drug prevention, and officials of the health and education ministries, will support us in conducting the programme.
In addition, Mr. Abeysinghe said, the police, Health Ministry and NDDCB will conduct raids island-wide to ensure that shops do not sell drugs under the guise of sweets. He cautioned students not to buy unusual looking sweets in the form of tablets, chocolates, gels, and pens or pencils.