ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Home Affairs will today (Tuesday) take up the Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2025, a key piece of legislation aimed at tackling drug abuse in educational institutions through new amendments to the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997.
Introduced by PPP MNA Sahar Kamran, the proposed legislation aims to prevent drug abuse in educational institutions, promote rehabilitation of students, protect mental health and introduce a treatment-based approach instead of a punitive system.
According to the bill, new sections 53A, 53B and 53C are proposed to be added to the law. Under the proposed Section 53A, candidates seeking admission to higher secondary or higher educational institutions can voluntarily undergo non-invasive drug testing.
Drug testing will only be performed by accredited medical institutions and strictly with the candidate’s informed, written consent.
The bill clearly states that a positive drug test result alone cannot be used as a reason to deny admission. In such cases, the candidate will receive a confidential medical evaluation and, with his or her consent, may be referred to rehabilitation or recovery programs.
The government will be responsible for providing free counselling, rehabilitation and mental health services to such students.
Under the proposed Section 53B, it will be mandatory for all public and private educational institutions to appoint at least one trained faculty or staff member as a student counselor.
The student counselor will be responsible for raising awareness about the harms of drug use, addiction, and mental health issues.
Educational institutions will also be required to establish confidential support mechanisms for students and, in collaboration with health institutions, provide mental health services on campus.
