RAWALPINDI: Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Pakistan carried out 364 awareness raising and drug abuse prevention activities during 2017 across the country in order to aware the masses about the hazards of drugs with a special focus on educational institutions.
According to ANF spokesman, the activities included seminars, lectures, awareness walks, sports events, tableaus, essay competitions, free medical camps, advertisements in print & electronic material and distribution of informational material etc.
Moreover, a number of significant drug demand reduction initiatives were undertaken during 2017 in order to alert the general public about hazards of drugs, which included publication of ANF public service message “Say No to Drugs” on public sector advertisements published in newspapers and others.
On the request of ANF, HEC has instructed all the higher educational institutions to arrange special programs for students, faculty and parents to create awareness against drugs.
He informed that ANF is also expanding its Drug Treatment Facility to 178 more beds at Karachi, Sukkur and Peshawar including establishment of 48 bedded female and Juvenile Drug Treatment Ward within existing MATRC Karachi in addition to existing 145 bedded Drug Treatment Facilities at Islamabad, Quetta and Karachi. During year 2017, ANF has provided free of cost drug treatment to 900 drug addicts at its Drug Treatment Centers.
ANF arranged 23 different training courses at ANF Academy, wherein 1943 officers and officials of ANF as well as other Law Enforcement Agencies were imparted professional training during last year.
Overall, professional and operational performance of ANF remained excellent during 2017 making it one of the elite forces at national, regional and international level, he added.
