Dope test fear keeps aspiring policemen away from trials

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 29

Fearing they might fail the dope test and that it would be a public invasion of their “drug-addiction privacy”, an increasing number of candidates are skipping the physical test for recruitment as police constables.

In all, 400 candidates are called to the Nehru Stadium for the physical test daily.

On July 27, 370 candidates reached the stadium for the physical test. Out of them, 17 flunked their substance abuse test (SAT) for five category of banned drugs.

On July 28, 363 candidates reported at the stadium and nine of them flunked SAT.

Today, only 354 candidates came for the physical trials and six of them flunked SAT.

“We will find out who did not turn up for physical trials, so that drug abusers among them can be given treatment,” said a senior police officer.

The health and police departments have a programme to de-addict the 32 candidates who were denied permission to participate in the physical trials after they flunked the dope test.

Candidates who fail the dope test are counselled by psychiatrists who generally make them fill consent forms for their one-week medical treatment at the Civil Hospital. They are assured that after getting treatment at the hospital, they will be allowed to undergo SAT. However, less than 50 per cent of the candidates who test positive under SAT turn up for treatment at the hospital, sources say.