The Bengaluru East Division Police are also taking on an expanded enforcement and awareness campaign for drug abuse by conducting a large-scale operation under the ‘Beda Bro & RISE’ campaign. The school- and college-level public education campaign is about protecting students from the ever-growing reality of drugs and raising awareness about the potential of substance abuse.
The campaign combines enforcement and education. ‘Beda Bro’ sends a simple message to young people; say no to drugs, while RISE is designed to encourage young people to make positive choices, seek support and build healthier futures. Bengaluru City Police and youth-driven organisation 1M1B have also been promoting RISE as a preventive movement centered on awareness, education and positive alternatives to drug use.
Police teams conducted surprise inspections at commercial businesses around educational institutions, to see if drugs or other prohibited substances could reach students and young people.
The police conducted inspections of 575 commercial establishments that existed around schools and colleges. The establishments included medical shops, hotels, grocery stores, stationery shops, ice cream parlours and xerox centres. The inspections were made in part because narcotic substances could be mixed with or hidden in the common items students buy such as snacks, chocolates and beverages.
Police also detected some suspected narcotic substances in some locations and registered four cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the operation. The NDPS Act is the primary legislation governing offences involving prohibited narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in India.
Police also questioned 305 suspicious individuals as part of the operation. 232 petty cases and 282 cases under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) were registered as part of the enforcement drive. 27 suspicious vehicles were seized to further investigate.
The operation is part of a more general trend in Bengaluru’s anti-drug strategy where enforcement has been combined with preventive measures aimed at young people. Bengaluru City Police launched the campaign for the wider RISE in August with the goal of reaching over five lakh students in 1,200 schools and colleges. The focus is on young people to put their energy into sports, music, technology, entrepreneurship, education and community activities, not drugs.
The Karnataka government and police have made RISE and its campaign the centrepiece of a larger effort to achieve a drug-free Karnataka. Students are told that the theme of the campaign “Purpose Is My High” is to find positive things in life to do and seek to achieve that and find something for purpose and satisfaction. Police officers are also expected to be involved in educational centres to talk to students about substance abuse, peer pressure, decision-making and responsible choices.
The ‘Beda Bro’ campaign similarly seeks to make anti-drug messaging more relatable to younger audiences. Bengaluru City Police are beginning to use youth-friendly communication to urge students to reject drugs and understand the physical, psychological, social and legal consequences of substance abuse.
The recent inspection drive also highlights the necessity of monitoring areas around schools and colleges. The shops and businesses close to schools and colleges can be important points of intervention when authorities are trying to prevent prohibited substances from reaching students. Regular inspections, community involvement and cooperation from shop owners can therefore play an important role in strengthening preventive action.
Police have also asked that educational institutions, parents, students and the public work together to help the campaign and report suspicious activity related to drugs. The emphasis is not only on getting to the bottom of drug traffickers but also to prevent young people from getting into addiction in the first place.
Bengaluru police have already carried out a number of significant anti-drug operations in the past months. In one of the larger Beda Bro and RISE projects, police reported in August the arrest of 39 drug peddlers, including foreign nationals, and the seizure of narcotic drugs with an estimated market value of ₹55.80 crore.
With last week’s inspections of hundreds of businesses and educational institutions, the Bengaluru East Division operation is a clear warning to those who want to bring drugs into the city’s youth ecosystem. The awareness part of the campaign aims to give students the confidence to turn away from substance abuse.
The message from the campaign is simple: drugs should not be part of young people’s lives, and prevention must take place before addiction starts. Police and schools, colleges and parents, businesses and students have been working together to make Bengaluru a safer and drug-free city.
