VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to reduce ganja smuggling and peddling, Vijayawada police began counselling and rehabilitation sessions for youngsters smoking across the city in the past one year.
The Commissioner’s Task Force initiated the move to not only arrest peddlers but also gather information on consumers so they could tackle the issue from both supply and demand sides. Till date, close to 400 youngsters, mainly students, have been counselled with the help of clinical psychologists.
Speaking to TOI, city police commissioner Bathina Sreenivasulu explained that the network of consumers is being tracked by interrogating peddlers who are caught. “If a student is caught, the parents and the teachers are made aware of their children’s activity. Counselling sessions are held with experts giving a presentation about the harmful effects of smoking ganja,” Sreenivasulu told TOI.
Interestingly, a significant number of family members are coming forward to let the cops ‘counsel’ their children. However, civil society activists find the move to publicise their initiative by exposing the students’ identities doing more damage to their lives than just smoking weed. “Putting up photos of students being counselled in public domain doesn’t encourage him or her to quit smoking weed. It just spoils their career and demoralizes them further. Rehabilitation should be done privately,” Rama Rao, a student’s rights activist says.
Cops have seen a spike in the number of youths involved in ganja smuggling, selling and consumption in the past year. “Initially the students are offered free sample packets of ganja. If they (students) like the product, the peddlers ask them to bring in more customers to purchase the product,” a task force official told TOI.
