The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to put in place within six months a national action plan to curb the rising drugs and alcohol abuse cases among school children, observing they are encouraged to become “drug peddlers once they get addicted”.
A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and D Y Chandrachud also asked the Centre to conduct a national survey on the substance and alcohol abuse, and use of psychotropic substances among children in schools across the country.
Issuing a slew of directions, the bench observed “Children are encouraged to become drug peddlers once they are addicted (to drugs).” The bench also favoured a re-look on the curriculum to make school children aware about substance abuse and its ill-effects.
The directions were passed on a 2014 PIL filed by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan of Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi. The NGO, in its plea, had sought a direction to formulate a national action plan for children on drugs and substance abuse including all issues of identification, investigation, recovery, counselling and rehabilitation.
It had also sought creation of model syllabus on ill- effects of drugs and substance abuse. The NGO, represented by senior advocate H S Phoolka, had sought setting up of rehabilitation and de-addiction centres in each district of the country with a special wing for children.