Taskforce to prevent drug menace, new law soon: CM

Bengaluru: ‘Drug menace has increased in Bengaluru city. 50 percent of the cases are registered in the capital city. There are 22 percent cases in Mangalore and 11 percent cases in other districts.

We have decided to create a task force to prevent the menace of drugs’. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Home Minister, Health, Medical, Urban Development and ITBT Department Ministers will be members of this task force.

Addressing a press conference at the Home Office Krishna, Siddaramaiah said that a meeting was held with the Home Minister, Health Minister, Medical Education Minister, ITBT and Urban Development Department to prevent the menace of drugs. He informed that the Commissioner of Police of Bangalore and senior officials were also involved in the meeting.

‘We will amend the law or make a new law to prevent drugs. If you are arrested in a drug case, we will prevent you from getting bail. Those who consume and sell drugs will be jailed for at least 10 years’, he said.

‘To prevent the menace of drugs, there is a committee headed by the District Collector in the state and district centres. For this, HCG Hospital caner expert, Dr Vishal Rao to be member of the high level committee related to tobacco control. He said that his opinion will also be taken.

Bengaluru East has a lot of drug peddlers. Hence, most drugs are being supplied from there. Synthetic drugs have come. All this does not happen without the knowledge of the police stations’. He said that the police would have information about all these.

‘It has been alleged that drugs are also available in medical shops. We have already cancelled the license of some medical shops. I am not saying that there are no drugs, they should be reduced and then prevented. In 2023, 123 international drug suppliers were arrested. In 2024, 8,018 drug users were arrested. Drugs are being supplied from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh’. He said that first it should be reduced, then it should be stopped completely.

‘The youth is getting spoiled due to the consumption of drugs, which is a thorn in the society. We use NGOs to prevent drugs. Government is making sincere efforts to prevent drugs. Drugs are having a bad effect on students. Crime cases are also increasing due to drug usage. Whereas stabbing and murder cases are increasing after using drugs. Therefore, we have decided to form a task force to control the menace of drugs’.

He said that NCC, Scouts and Guides will create awareness about this among the students and make them participate in the prevention of drugs.