MARDAN: A complaint was made by a former chairman of the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell in view of the rising increase in solvent abuse among teenagers in the Mardan district.
The Child Protection Officer has written a letter to the district officer Social Welfare Department Mardan to ban the sale of “Samad bond” adhesive to children in a bid to stop its misuse.
It is pertinent to mention here that in Mardan, a serious concern was raised about the children who indulged in solvent abuse, especially in sniffing Samad bond at public places after 6pm.A complaint was filed by the former chairman of the CM Complaint Cell in Mardan Mohammad Naeem Khan which was also published in different newspapers.
According to sources, the Child Protection Officer Mardan wrote a letter to the district officer Social Welfare Mardan. In the latter, it was mentioned that the situation was described as alarming, as it posed a serious threat to the health, safety, and overall well-being of the vulnerable street children.
After analyzing the complaint, the Child Protection Unit (CPU) Mardan, working under the umbrella of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Child Protection and Welfare Commission, decided that an immediate and collective response was required.
The department understood that the protection of these children would require the intervention of more than one agency. In this regard, a joint operation was planned. This operation would be conducted by the Rehabilitation Centre for Drug Addicts (RCDA) Mardan and the police
department. The staff members of the RCDA would help identify the children affected by the drug and would also provide them with proper rehabilitation services, while the police department would make sure that all these activities are carried out in a safe, secure, and legal environment.
Along with intervention, there were also some preventive steps that were to be taken. Notifications would be sent to the chairmen of the trader’s union and market heads in district Mardan, advising the shopkeepers not to sell Samad bond or any other similar addictive substance to children below the age of 18 years.
Strict legal action would be taken against those who disobeyed these notifications. The authorities also planned to initiate awareness programmes on social media platforms and other communication channels.
These programs would make the people aware of the negative effects of Samad bond and any other similar addictive substance, while strongly warning against their misuse and illegal sale. The CPU Mardan was determined to play a major role in ensuring that the best interests of the children are met. This included regular follow-ups and monitoring of children admitted to the rehabilitation center.They would coordinate with the police and other authorities to trace the families or guardians of affected children.
