Taking notice of the “alarming use” of drugs among students, the Sindh government has decided to conduct random drug tests at colleges across the province, it emerged on Tuesday. According to a notification issued by the provincial College Education Department, a three-member committee has been constituted to coordinate with the medical screening teams during their visits to the colleges for conducting the random medical tests on the students. The committee will also organise seminars, workshops and awareness sessions in collaboration with the stakeholders in their respective colleges to educate students about the harmful effects of drug use on health, academics and future career prospects, read the notification. Narcotics consumption is a major challenge for our society as drug trafficking has been on the rise and drugs use has become a fashion, Sindh Senior Minister for Information, Transport, and Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Sharjeel Inam Memon had said while responding to a call-attention notice in the Sindh Assembly in November last year, according to He had maintained that cocaine addiction was seen as a status symbol in elite society and after cocaine, marijuana and heroin, tackling ice and crystal consumption has become a great challenge. He, however, assured the legislature that action against drug use was being carried out and awareness efforts were also in progress in this regard.