LUMS clarifies drug policy after student found dead due to apparent overdose

Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) is making headlines these days after a student was found dead in his hotel room due to apparent drug overdose.

Since then, many have been wondering how it was possible for the student, identified as Shahmir Bajwa, to get hold of the drugs and use it on campus. Bajwa belonged from Karachi and was studying at LUMS in the fifth semester of his degree in Accounting and Finance.

On December 12, Bajwa was found unresponsive in his hostel room. The LUMS administration was immediately called by his fellow hostel mate but when he did not revive, Bajwa was immediately taken to the nearest hospital. Upon reaching the National Defence Hospital, Bajwa was pronounced dead and doctors said that he had expired earlier in the day.

Postmortem reports have now confirmed that Bajwa died of drug overdose.

On Tuesday, LUMS issued a statement, clarifying its stance on drug use; “The LUMS administration would like to make clear that it recognises that drug and substance abuse is a real challenge plaguing educational institutions and society at large, and that this issue is taken extremely seriously.”

“LUMS has a zero tolerance policy against all intoxicants and has regular vigilance and oversight to prevent availability of drugs and illegal substances on campus”, the varsity added. Delving into details regarding its efforts to curb drug usage on campus, the official statement said, “This involves two layers of security and hostel staff. Any infractions are reported and dealt with according to procedures that are transparent and documented. A firm principled approach is taken with all students who are in violation of the zero tolerance policy.”

“A well-trained security force with SOPs regarding entry and exit from campus ensures general safety at LUMS. The campus is well covered with CCTV, and all reports of drug violations, whether from security staff, cameras, or individual complaints, are followed up rigorously,” it added.

LUMS also clarified that students who have addiction problem or other psychological issues, can discuss it with a full-time psychologist who is 0n-board the team to help students at all times.

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Posted by fatimaarshad on Dec 14 2016. Filed under Latest News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.