SPOTLIGHT | ROLLING RISK: DRUG CRISIS AT CAMPUS

MAPUSA
On an ordinary weekday morning in a Bardez school, teachers noticed two boys returning from recess with dazed eyes and sluggish speech.
“They could barely keep focus. At first, we thought it was a lack of sleep, but later realised it was something more sinister,” one teacher recalled.
Such accounts are no longer stray whispers in Goa’s coastal belt. From schools to colleges, narcotics are slowly making their way into classrooms, eating into the vitals of impressionable young minds. While the situation may not have walloped the education system yet, the signs are ominous: if unchecked, Goa risks losing an entire generation to substance abuse.
Panchayat members from coastal villages confirm the presence of drugs among schoolchildren. “Students jump out of the compound wall during recess, consume the substance outside and then return to class dazed and spaced out,” said a local elected member.
Parents, many of whom remain unaware, may not realise that their children are dabbling with narcotics. But others know and remain helpless. “It’s next to impossible for a parent not to know,” observed a medical practitioner from the coastal belt who has treated several such cases.
“Bloodshot or dilated eyes, erratic behaviour and the smell are easy giveaways. Some parents try to cover it up, hoping the phase will pass, while others are resigned,” he added.
The modus operandi
Locals are often the first point of contact for children. “The technique is simple: win the confidence of the child with a small free dose and then escalate to stronger narcotics,” explained the panchayat member. “What begins with a puff of ganja can easily spiral into addiction,” he added.
Ganja remains the most commonly used drug among students – largely because it is cheap, accessible and perceived as “harmless fun”. But behind the roll lies a dangerous trajectory, leading some youngsters towards more potent narcotics.
Along the belt, discreet visits to private medical practitioners have become common. “We see youth, some barely out of their uniforms, turning up with classic symptoms of substance use,” said one doctor. “Many come from well-to-do families. The misconception is that it’s only the underprivileged, but it’s often the affluent who can afford regular consumption,” he said.
While schools are harder to penetrate, narcotics find easier ground near college campuses. Mapusa has been a hotspot. In 2010, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) arrested Bahadur Singh, a long-serving security guard of St Xavier’s College, for supplying charas to students. The arrest exposed how deeply the drug menace had seeped into the educational environment.
According to a source, drugs continue to be accessible in and around campuses of at least three colleges in the Mapusa region. “Students know exactly where to go. Peddlers are often stationed in lanes near campus walls, making it difficult for authorities to monitor every transaction,” the source said.
Police aware, but stretched
Police acknowledge the growing challenge. A senior officer posted in North Goa admitted: “Drug peddlers are smart. They target students who are curious or vulnerable and rope them in gradually. We do conduct raids and awareness drives in coordination with the Anti-Narcotics Cell, but unless there is community cooperation, the problem will persist,” he said.
He further pointed to the difficulty of policing every school and college: “We need active tip-offs from parents, teachers and community members. Without intelligence inputs, peddlers slip through the cracks.”
What makes the battle harder is that, in some cases, households themselves are complicit. “When drug business is happening right under your nose, at home, children are bound to get hooked,” admitted a coastal police officer. The lure of easy and fast money has drawn several families into the trade, often pulling their own children into consumption and distribution networks.
Parents and teachers say the problem needs a systemic response. “We need regular counselling and awareness sessions in schools,” suggested a teacher from Siolim. A parent from Anjuna added, “Random checks in schools and colleges should be introduced, just like bag inspections for banned items.”
Medical professionals argue for rehabilitation rather than only punitive measures. “Addicted children need therapy, not just punishment. Otherwise we will only push them further into the darkness,” said the doctor.
A warning bell
For now, the whispers are growing louder. The sight of dazed children returning to class after recess is no longer rare. The occasional raids by police serve as reminders of the presence of narcotics but do little to stem the steady flow.
Unless a comprehensive strategy is rolled out – combining enforcement, community vigilance, awareness and rehabilitation – Goa may soon find itself battling a youth drug crisis entrenched within its very classrooms.