Although substance abuse is reportedly rampant among children in Kerala of late, only 69 drug cases involving schoolchildren have been registered in the State in the past six years. The statistics tabled in the Assembly by the Excise department reveal that 30,869 cases were registered in connection with substance abuse in the State during this period. Of this, charge sheet was submitted in 29,208 cases in various courts.
Among these, cases involving students were just 69 while 215 cases were registered against underage youth involved in drug trafficking. Excise officials, however, said the instances of drug trafficking involving students or underage youth could be much more. D. Rajeev, Additional Excise Commissioner, told The Hindu, “Excise officers would register cases involving students or underage youth only if the offence is of a more serious nature.”
In cases involving drug consumption, the parents of students or adolescent youth too would be summoned and counselled. The students would be given deaddiction treatment. Even in cases where drug trafficking is also involved, the children would be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and would be provided counselling, said Mr. Rajeev. Recently, a vlogger was arrested by the excise officials in Kochi after a video that reportedly showed him encouraging a teenage girl to smoke ganja went viral on social media. In the case, neither the girl was taken into custody by enforcement agencies nor she was charge-sheeted.
