Nine minors aged between 14 and 17 have been sent to de-addiction centres in Telangana after their parents sought help through the EAGLE Force helpline, highlighting a response that combines narcotics enforcement with treatment and counselling for children.
According to Telangana Today, the minors were referred for assistance after families contacted the toll-free helpline 1908. The report said the EAGLE Force, which is handling drug-related interventions, acted after receiving requests from parents concerned about substance abuse among their children.
In a case from Cyberabad, six minors and two adults tested positive for narcotics, the report said. Police arrested a 21-year-old alleged peddler identified as N Tushal. Cases were registered at the Jeedimetla and Sanathnagar police stations under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.
The cases place two different parts of the response side by side. The alleged supply of narcotics is being handled through police investigation and criminal law, while the minors identified as users have been directed towards de-addiction support. The report did not provide details of the substances involved, the quantities recovered, or the specific sections invoked in each case.
A separate case was reported from Wanaparthy, where a minor tested negative for narcotics. The child was nevertheless counselled along with the parents, according to the report. This indicates that the intervention described by officials is not limited to positive test results and can also include family counselling when officials receive a complaint or request for help.
The EAGLE Force urged families not to allow stigma to prevent them from reporting suspected drug abuse among children. Its helpline, 1908, was identified as the channel through which parents in the reported cases sought assistance. The appeal places families at the first point of contact in a system that links reporting, testing, counselling, de-addiction care and police action.
The report did not state how long the nine minors would remain in de-addiction centres, which agencies operate the facilities, or whether follow-up care and school-based support would be provided after treatment. It also did not disclose the identities of the minors, consistent with the need to protect children involved in drug-related cases.
For Hyderabad and the surrounding urban region, the cases show how drug-related incidents involving children can move across multiple institutions rather than remain solely a policing matter. The immediate action reported by officials includes arrests and registration of cases, but also treatment referrals and counselling for minors and their parents. Families seeking help have been directed to the EAGLE Force helpline 1908.
