From Dreams to Drugs: Silent Epidemic

Student drug addiction is real and rampant and needs more than blame—it calls for treatment, counselling, and compassion that restore belief in recovery.

I recently attended a meeting convened by the Commissioner of Police, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where he appealed to representatives of various institutes on the urgent issue of rising drug addiction among students. A student is typically associated with curiosity, energy, dreams, and ambition — a life dedicated to learning and building a bright future. Yet this foundation is being silently eroded by the grip of addiction.

Drug addiction among students has become one of the most pressing social and educational challenges of our time. At a stage in life when young people should be concentrating on studies, personal growth, and shaping their future, many fall prey to the lure of drugs. Curiosity, peer pressure, academic stress, family issues, and the easy availability of narcotics often drive this problem. Once ensnared, students suffer not only physical and psychological harm but also setbacks in their academic performance, relationships, and overall well-being. This growing menace affects not just the individual but also weakens families, institutions, and society as a whole. It is therefore vital to understand the causes, consequences, and remedies of student drug addiction to safeguard their health, education, and future.

Drug addiction is not merely a personal problem; it is a social disease, a national challenge, and a human tragedy. Addicts are not born but shaped by curiosity, bad company, peer pressure, ignorance, and despair. Tragically, students — who ought to be the torchbearers of progress — often fall into this dangerous trap.

Studies show that drug use often begins with experimentation — a puff at a party, a pill from a friend, or the thrill of trying something new. Young people cite exam stress, fierce competition, family expectations, and loneliness as common reasons. In today’s world of constant pressure, they search for escape, and drugs offer only a fleeting illusion of relief. What starts as an escape soon becomes a prison without walls.

The reality is harsh: once caught in addiction, breaking free is rarely easy. Drugs ruin health, drain finances, destroy families, and shatter dreams. A student who might have become a doctor, engineer, teacher, or leader instead wastes his potential — sometimes even his life. Behind every addict stands a heartbroken parent, a broken family, and a society robbed of another bright star.

The dangers extend far beyond the individual. Drug addiction fuels crime, violence, and disorder. It weakens the moral fabric of society and drags nations backwards. When a country’s youth are at risk, so too is its future. Yet every dark tunnel still holds a light at the end.

Remedies for students struggling with drug addiction lie not only in treatment but also in care, support, and an environment that encourages healthier choices. Professional counselling can help address the emotional pain, stress, anxiety, and competitive pressures that often lead to drug use. Families must provide a safe, non-judgemental space for open conversation and emotional support.

Students, teachers, and citizens alike must become torchbearers of awareness. Many young people who experiment with drugs have little idea of the dangers they invite into their lives. Schools, colleges, and families must speak openly; silence only deepens the problem. In the end, a strong mind and will are the best shields, and students must learn to say no.

Saying “no” means resisting peer pressure, unhealthy temptations, and shortcuts that promise pleasure but deliver pain. Society must offer positive alternatives—sports, art, music, and culture provide students with joy, excitement, and companionship.

A person with a drug problem is not merely a criminal but also a patient, a victim, a fellow human being in need of help. Mockery, isolation, or punishment alone won’t resolve the issue. What’s required is treatment, rehabilitation, counselling, and support that instils the belief in recovery.

Parents and teachers play a vital role in the education of children. Parents should stay watchful and compassionate; teachers must guide not just academic learning but also impart values, ethics, gratitude, and moral clarity. Society must also enforce strict action against drug peddlers, improve rehabilitation services, run awareness campaigns, and establish student-friendly helplines.

Yet even the firmest laws fail if students don’t take responsibility for their choices. In the struggle against drugs, the pen is mightier than the syringe, knowledge stronger than intoxication, and hope more powerful than despair. We all can raise our voices, spread awareness, and support one another.

Drug addiction is not merely the fight of a student, parent, or government—it’s the fight of all of us. We must build a world where no student feels compelled to escape through drugs; where everyone feels valued, supported, and inspired; where education leads to enlightenment, not entrapment. Our lives are precious, our dreams priceless, and our future worth safeguarding.

Say no to drugs.

(The writer is an assistant professor of English literature. Views personal)