Mangaluru: The fight against drugs cannot succeed through policing alone, and will continue as long as sections of society resist efforts to curb the menace, Mangaluru City police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH said on Thursday.Addressing parents and students after administering an anti-drug pledge on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall, the police commissioner said enforcement against drug-related offences has been significantly intensified over the past year.“Nearly 80% of society is actively raising its voice against drugs, but the remaining 20% that resists action is enough to keep the problem alive,” he said.He noted that students continue to use drugs, with peddlers supplying them, and some parents unaware, and a few colleges still hesitant to conduct drug tests. Nearly 400 peddlers were arrested in the past year, while over 2,000 users were identified, with many counselled and others taken into custody. Follow-up testing showed improvement, with around 90% of previously identified users testing negative later, and only about 10% continuing drug use, he said.He said public participation has risen, with parents reporting and even submitting drugs found with their children, leading to action. Most colleges have adopted drug testing, but noted campuses are not yet drug-free, expressing confidence that sustained efforts could achieve this within one to two years.Referring to this year’s theme, ‘Drug problems persisting issues new challenges innovative resources,’ Reddy said solutions lie in taking simple incremental steps.He urged students to avoid drugs and to report incidents, asked parents to watch for behavioural changes, and called on colleges to identify vulnerable students and conduct regular testing, stressing that consistent small steps can curb drug use.He added that the QR code-based system receives about 20 complaints weekly, leading to around 10 cases. Between June 2025 and May 2026, college administrations tested 5,960 students, while police tested 672. The department also felicitated Yenepoya College, Srinivas Institute of Technology, and St Joseph’s Engineering College for their anti-drug efforts.Deputy commissioner Darshan HV, who inaugurated the programme, lauded the police, saying he had not seen such participation in tackling the social evil in any of the five districts he has served. He said authorities are committed to tackling the drug menace and urged the public to report cases, assuring that complainants’ identities will be kept confidential.Zaibunnisa, senior civil judge and member secretary of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) referred to drug consumption as a disease, and said that drugs are enough to destroy a nation. Dr Ruksana Hassan, child psychologist, addressed the students and highlighted problems pertaining to drug use. A drug awareness video produced by Sanjay Patil was launched, and students were awarded for winning a placard competition organised by the department. DCP’s Mithun HN, K Ravishankar and Umesh P and director of EDOA Ashwini Shetty were present.
