KARACHI, Feb 14 (APP):University of Karachi has a zero-tolerance policy regarding drug and tobacco use on campus as the KU discourages the consumption of tobacco substances in any form in academic and residential zones of the University of Karachi.
The KU has already implemented the Higher Education Commission-Islamabad policy on drug and tobacco abuse in the higher educational institutions of the country in letter and spirit and it has included clause(s) regarding discouraging the use of cigarettes and tobacco in any form on campus for the last few decades.
These views were expressed by the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi during a meeting with the Director of Research and Analysis Activities HEC-Islamabad Engineer Sulaiman Ahmad at the KU Secretariat on Wednesday. Professor Dr Farah Iqbal, Professor Dr Tanveer Abbas, Dr Salman Zubair, and Dr Nosheen Raza were also present on this occasion.
The VC shared that they have managed to remove the illegal slums, with the help of the authorities concerned, which have encroached on the KU land and been found involved in selling drug substances in the city. We have now allowed the nurseries to set up plant sales outlets to make that part of the land a green and clean territory.
He informed Sulaiman Ahmad that recently several agencies had conducted an on-ground survey and shared their findings with him according to those reports the KU was one of the public sector universities where the use of tobacco was found in very low numbers. Those reports have appreciated our efforts in making a tobacco-free campus, and give us the highest ratings, he added.
He shared that besides taking strict measures against the use of tobacco on campus. They have also provided many facilities to differently-abled students and also exempted their tuition fees.
Earlier, the Director of Research and Analysis Activities HEC-Islamabad Engineer Sulaiman Ahmad briefed the members of the meeting that the Senate has recently passed a resolution to implement a policy on drug and tobacco abuse at HEIs in the country, and the HEC-Islamabad has decided to send monitoring teams for the implementation of the said policy.
He mentioned that the HEC-Islamabad is keenly focusing on implementing the policy in the direction of the Senate to ensure drug-free and smoke-free campuses across the country.
He shared that the purpose of his visit was to assess the support of university practices with the HEC’s policies, providing an overview and identifying areas for improvement.
Sulaiman Ahmad observed that a thorough monitoring visit will not only provide valuable insights into the current state of policy implementation but will also help in fostering a culture of responsibility, transparency, and continuous improvement within our institutions.
He mentioned that a support mechanism will be required to fully implement this policy and the parents of students would play a key role in this regard.
He hoped that the staff and faculty would also follow the policy guidelines to reduce the alarming figures of drug and tobacco use in the country.
Quoting a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report, he shared that Pakistan has seven million drug users and every one of three drug users is a woman, and mentioned that the World Health Organization has reported that more than eight million people die each year from tobacco use with 1.2 million of these deaths from passive smoking along and many others facing tobacco-related health complications.
The HEC-Islamabad official said that they have initiated a toll-free National Youth Helpline Desk to discuss their problems.
Meanwhile, the KU focal person for the HEC policy on drug and tobacco use at HEIs, Professor Dr Farah Iqbal shared that the KU always advises the students to keep themselves away from drugs and smoking in and outside the campus and every year during the orientation day newcomers are warned about its side effects.
She mentioned that gates, canteens, and other locations are regularly monitored and reported cases are handed over to relevant bodies for legal action.
