ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN PREVENTION OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG STUDENTS.

• Drug abuse is rapidly growing in Pakistan, especially among youth including those in colleges and universities, resulting in serious social and health implications.

 

• According to statistics, there are nine million drug addicts in Pakistan, out of which two million are between the ages of 15 to 25.

 

• One of every ten students at college or university level is drug addict. 

 

 

• Researches shows that young people who start smoking cigarettes, sheesha or drink alcohol are much more likely to experiment with illegal drugs than people who do not smoke or drink.

 

• Researches showing that as high as 60 per cent of the addicts belong to the educated class, with a majority of them being university students. This is a cause of grave concern, as we are losing out on the brightest and best amongst us.

 

MAJOR CAUSES OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG STUDENTS

 

• Risk taking behaviours

 

• Social isolation

 

• Stress

 

• Anxiety

 

• Depression

 

• Bad company

 

• Modern life style

 

• Hippy culture

 

• Unemployment

 

• Excessive pocket money by parents

 

• lack of supervision and attention

 

• Weak religious belief

 

• lot of free time

 

• Easy access to drugs at low prices

 

• Existence and presence of drug dens inside educational institution

 

• Fashion.

WHAT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS CAN DO FOR    PREVENTION?

 

• Teachers could play a positive role in this regard by creating awareness among the students in the educational institutions about the bad effects of drugs on their lives.

 

• Anti drug campaign.

 

• Monthly medical checkups and drug tests.

 

• Promotion of healthy activities like sports plays a great role in preventing students from becoming addicts.

 

• Need to inform students about drug abuse and motivate them to conduct research to analyze drug use situation in educational institutes.

 

• Proper counseling for early users and formation of anti drug youth cell.

 

• Compulsory drug education in every educational institution.

 

• Train students and teachers to provide drug prevention education.
  • Awareness campaigns through mass media, theatre, essay contests, lectures and declamation contests in schools, colleges and universities should be run for awareness.

 

• Education departments should develop a curriculum against drugs in textbooks at school, college and university levels.

 

• More recreational facilities should be created to take the youth off the drugs.

 

• Efforts should be made to control tobacco smoking in educational institution because it is the gateway to drug abuse.

 

• Strong check on activities of students

 

• Strict rules and regulation in educational institutes.

 

• Compulsory team of expert sociologists and psychologists.                 

 

• Awareness through films and audio

 

    CONCLUDING NOTE

 

“So my request to the fellow youth is that please stay away from drugs, if not for your sake but for the sake of the ones who loves you”.