Ghaziabad: Authorities in the district have stepped up action against the illegal sale and trafficking of narcotics, with a focus on educational institutions and other sensitive areas.Between Sept 21 and Oct 22, police arrested 30 people in 21 narcotics cases. Separately, under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), four cases were registered, and 10 people were arrested.Police seized 47.37 kg of ganja, 2.46 kg of charas, 15.5 kg of doda, 140 grams of intoxicating powder and 146 grams of intoxicating tablets during the period. Twenty-one hookahs, 21 chillums, 26 pipes, 14 stands and 12 units of flavoured tobacco were seized under COTPA.The crackdown was reviewed at a meeting of the district-level Narcotics Coordination Centre at the collectorate on Wednesday. Additional District Magistrate (City) Vikas Kashyap, who chaired the meeting under the direction of District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar, directed departments to intensify enforcement against drug trafficking and the illegal sale of intoxicating substances.Kashyap instructed officials to maintain close surveillance around schools and other educational institutions to prevent the sale of alcohol, tobacco and other intoxicating substances in prohibited areas. Regular inspections were also ordered at hotels, roadside eateries, restaurants, public places and other sensitive locations. Officials were directed to take strict legal action against those found violating the rules.“Coordinated enforcement and public awareness campaigns are needed to educate young people about the harmful effects of substance abuse. Residents should also inform the administration or police about the illegal sale and trafficking of narcotics,” Kashyap said.During the meeting, Kashyap also launched the 60-day Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign 4.0, aimed at making schools, colleges, universities and villages tobacco-free and raising awareness among young people about the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine.The campaign will include awareness meetings, conferences, rallies, poster-making competitions and enforcement drives to ensure compliance with tobacco control regulations. The education, police, GST, food safety and drug administration departments, along with other agencies, will coordinate its implementation.The Tobacco Control Cell under the chief medical officer, Ghaziabad, will oversee the campaign, with designated nodal officers monitoring activities in their respective areas.Officials from the health, police, narcotics, food, drug control, social welfare, education, forest and traffic departments attended the meeting.
