The Government College University Lahore on Thursday launched the Drug-Free Campus Drive to raise awareness and create and maintain an environment for its students, staff, and faculty that is free of smoking, alcohol or any of illicit drug use
Lahore (Pakistan Point News - 06th November, 2020) The Government College University Lahore on Thursday launched the Drug-Free Campus Drive to raise awareness and create and maintain an environment for its students, staff, and faculty that is free of smoking, alcohol or any of illicit drug use.
Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Azam Khan Swati inaugurated the Drug-Free Campus Drive at a graceful ceremony, at the University’s Bukhari Auditorium, which was also addressed by Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Regional Directorate Commander Brig. Rashid Minhas, Punjab government spokesperson Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy, members Punjab Assembly Zainab Umair and Ms. Shawana Bashir and emeritus consultant psychiatrist Prof. Shakil Jehangir Malik.
The event was organized in collaboration with a renowned non-government organization, CHAMP, and Anti-Narcotics Force Punjab
In his address, Vice Chancellor Prof. Asghar Zaidi elaborated on his eleven different initiatives to make GCU a drug-free campus, saying drugs were the potentially strongest threat to their colleges and universities, their educational mission, and to the safety and well-being of the community as a whole.
He said the University was even strictly screening and monitoring cafeteria staff and hawkers standing outside around the campus, besides launching a Prefect System to engage students in surveillance on suspicious activities.
Prof. Zaidi announced established a student body, GCU Anti-Narcotics Society, which shall be jointly patronized by the Federal Minister for Narcotics Control with Prof. Shakil J. Malik as its external advisor.
Federal Minister Azam Swati highlighted the different successful operations of his government against drug peddlers in the last two years where they seized hundreds of kilograms of heroin and other illicit drugs. However, he said, many criminals got bails from courts on technical grounds due to weak prosecution and lacunas in law.
He added that the Drug-Free Campus Drive launched at GCU would act as a beacon of light to enlighten their youth about the disastrous effects of drugs on abusers, their families, friends and communities. The minister pledged to take this drive forward to other educational institutions.
Emeritus Consultant Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Shakil Jehangir Malik highlighted drugs as a major cause of psychosocial toxicity and extremism present within the society. Talking about awareness, he said that it should not be through sermons only, rather a scientific method should be used for drug control through indigenous research.
He shared his experience that boys who started using drugs in their teenage mostly became aggressive and violent. He said that in some cases, they became so aggressive that they killed their own family members who had been making efforts for their recovery.
Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy talked about drug abuse as a social evil which destroyed families and social fabric of the Society.
MPA Ms. Shawana Bashir criticized this grade and CGPA race in their universities, saying the biggest fear their youth had today was of joblessness after completing their studies. She laid stress on linking the universities with industries and business organizations to provide internship and job opportunity to students besides entrepreneurial training.
Brig Rashid Minhas emphasised the need to make educational institutions drug-free and wiping it from our society as well. Rashid Minhas said every individual would have to play his or her best role in preventing people from addiction and use of drugs. He requested parents to keep checks and balances to their children in this regard as well.
