To make Udupi a drug-free district, random blood tests will be conducted on 10% of students in every college every three months, SP Hariram Shankar announced on Monday. If a student tests positive, their details will remain confidential and be shared only with the nodal officer. They will then receive counselling to aid rehabilitation. Colleges will secure prior consent from students, and the District Health Officer will ensure trained medical staff are present. The process will be fully managed by colleges, with police stepping in only if required.
Udupi has 166 colleges — 120 pre-university and 46 professional institutions — all of which have formed Anti-Drug and Awareness Committees (ADACs) under DC Swaroopa T.K. Launched on July 24 at Bannanje Shri Narayana Guru Sabha Bhavana in partnership with the district police, the initiative focuses on reducing both drug demand and supply, particularly in student hubs like Manipal and Udupi.
Each ADAC comprises the principal, two faculty members, and one student per class, with at least two female students. The local police inspector or sub-inspector will serve as the nodal officer. Committees must hold monthly meetings, conduct at least one awareness programme such as a walkathon, and involve police officers quarterly.
SP Shankar urged the public to share tip-offs about drug peddlers with nodal officers for legal action. At the district level, the nodal officer is the DySP CEN police station, reachable at 8277989100.