Telangana parents are turning to the EAGLE Force helpline 1908 to report suspected drug use among children, leading officials to identify nine minors within two days and refer eight of them to de-addiction centres, according to EAGLE Force Director Sandeep Shandilya.
The state’s anti-narcotics unit received information from families about substance use among children and their peer groups. Officials said the minors were counselled after being identified, with eight shifted to de-addiction centres for further assistance.
In one case within the Cyberabad Commissionerate limits, a mother alerted authorities that her son and his friends were allegedly consuming drugs. EAGLE Force personnel subsequently took eight people into custody, including a suspected drug supplier. The group comprised six minors and two adults.
Drug tests returned positive results, officials said. Those who tested positive were shifted to de-addiction centres, while police registered cases at Jeedimetla and Sanathnagar police stations and arrested the suspected drug peddlers.
In a separate case from Wanaparthy district, parents approached authorities for help with their son, who was allegedly addicted to ganja and other drugs. A drug test confirmed substance use and the boy was sent to a de-addiction centre.
The cases illustrate the role being assigned to the EAGLE Force helpline as an entry point for families seeking intervention, counselling and rehabilitation support. Officials have urged parents and communities to report drug-related concerns through 1908, while stressing the importance of early intervention and parental vigilance.
The Telangana government has established a state-wide treatment and counselling system for people affected by drug abuse. The system includes government hospital-based facilities and a referral and support role for the Telangana EAGLE Force.
There are 35 designated government teaching hospitals in the state functioning as Addiction Treatment Facilities, or ATFs. These facilities are intended to provide medical treatment, counselling and support for people with substance-use disorders. The EAGLE Force has encouraged families to use the helpline so that suspected cases involving young people can be assessed and directed towards these services.
