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       PESHAWAR: Twenty-six drug addicts tested positive for HIV during the health screening conducted by the authorities after their shifting to rehabilitation centres during the ongoing Drug-Free Peshawar campaign.

       Details shared with Dawn show that since the launch of the programme, authorities had detained over 500 drug addicts from several parts of the city till Sunday.

       On Monday, 80 more drug addicts were also shifted to the rehabilitation centres, bringing the number close to 600 since the launch of the programme.

       Till Sunday, a total of 285 drug addicts had been screened and 27 of them tested positive for HIV. In addition to this, 20 others tested positive for hepatitis-C (HCV) and four others hepatitis-B (HBag).

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       Over 230 others tested negative. In addition to this, test reports of 226 other addicts were pending.

       A report compiled by the district administration showed that of the 511 addicts having have been shifted to the rehabilitation centres, 507 were illiterate, while one had a bachelor’s degree. Besides, the authorities have also picked up eight women drug addicts during the ongoing campaign.

       Nine of the arrested drug addicts are below 17 years of age, while 90 are in age bracket of 18-25 years and 76 others between 26-30 years. Similarly, 73 are in age bracket of 36-40 years, 47 in 40-45 and remaining 30 aged between 46-50 years.

       Peshawar division commissioner Riaz Khan Mehsud told Dawn that the authorities were committed to purging the city of the drug addicts and beggars.

       Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2024