MAPUSA
Former Chairperson of the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Peter Borges, has raised serious concern over the rising trend of substance abuse in schools across the State, warning that the problem is no longer confined to urban areas but is equally prevalent in rural belts.
“The drivers are fairly consistent – peer pressure, poor coping skills, family background and social environment. In Bardez, apart from tobacco, alcohol, drugs and e-cigarettes, there are disturbing cases where abuse is linked to peddling networks operating in and around elite schools. This points to organised supply chains reaching directly into school spaces,” Borges said.
During his tenure, Borges said the commission had worked with stakeholders in the school ecosystem, which led to the creation of Prahari (anti-drugs) clubs across the State.
While student members and nodal teachers were trained, he lamented that these clubs are now “largely inactive due to lack of financial and institutional support.”
Borges also revealed that a comprehensive School Narcotics Policy prepared by the commission has been pending with the Education Department for nearly two years.
The policy, he said, was designed to help schools systematically handle cases of substance use and provide clarity for principals, teachers and parents.
He further stressed the need to enforce the rule prohibiting the sale of tobacco, alcohol and other banned substances within 100 yards of schools.
“Protecting the physical ecosystem around schools is as important as prevention programmes within them. Drug demand reduction must be treated as a priority with structured investment and clear accountability,” Borges urged.
