Special task force to launch ‘Buddy Group’ to fight drugs

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 10

Gearing up for a peer support and counselling group in schools and colleges of the district in the form of a buddy programme, to tackle drug abuse, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma and Commissioner of Police Praveen Kumar Sinha on Friday asked all educational institutes to form a “buddy group” in their respective institutes by August 13.

Presiding over a meeting here at the district administrative complex, the Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner of Police, said every educational institute would have a buddy group from sixth standard onwards and the group would comprise three to five students.

They said the class teachers would be senior buddies whereas the principals of institute would be the super buddies, who would oversee all the activities in their institute. Likewise, they said a nodal officer of an educational institute would act as a bridge between the administration and the institute. They also said the buddy group would devote 30-40 minutes every week, in its crusade against drugs.

Both the officers said the teachers must be emphatic and rational towards students while implementing the programme. They also said the buddy group would be focused on convincing the fellow students about the hazardous effects of drugs. They also said the training programme for nodal officers, senior buddies and super buddies would be organised shortly.

They emphasised that the programme would lay thrust on students, as part of which a group of three to five students of same section/batch would be formed, who would monitor and motivate people denounce drug abuse and get treated.

Both the officers also asked the teachers regarding strategies to be adopted by professors and teachers, to motivate students to remain away from drugs.