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...

min read

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)

‘Will PM now brief parties, allow debate on post-Pahalgam strategy?’ Congress asks

PTI
Jun 11
2 min read

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi, having met the members of the seven parliamentary delegations that were sent abroad, will now agree to have a full debate in the monsoon session of Parliament on the country's post-Pahalgam security and foreign policy challenges.

The opposition party also asked whether the PM will at least chair a meeting or a set of meetings of leaders of all political parties and take them into confidence on India's future strategy vis-a-vis both China and Pakistan.

PM Modi on Tuesday hosted the members of the multi-party delegations, comprising parliamentarians and former diplomats, who travelled to various world capitals over the past few weeks to convey India's message on the need to eradicate the menace of terrorism following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said now that the PM has himself met with the members of the seven parliamentary delegations that had been sent to various countries, will he at least now chair a meeting or a set of meetings of leaders of all political parties and take them into confidence on India's future strategy vis-a-vis both China and Pakistan and the strategic implications of the CDS' revelations in Singapore.

His remarks were in reference to the comments made by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan in Singapore recently that India rectified tactics and hit deep inside Pakistani territory after suffering losses of aircraft in the recent military clashes with Pakistan. He had also dismissed as "absolutely incorrect" Islamabad's claim of downing six Indian jets.

Ramesh also asked if the PM will agree to have a full debate in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament on the country's post-Pahalgam security and foreign policy challenges, since the request of the INDIA bloc parties for a special session has been most unfortunately rejected.

He further asked whether the PM will redouble efforts to bring the Pahalgam terrorists, who were reportedly involved in three earlier terror attacks in Poonch (December 2023), and Gagangir and Gulmarg (2024), to justice.

Ramesh also asked whether a group of experts like the Kargil Review Committee, which was chaired by the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's father K Subrahmanyam, will be set up to analyse Operation Sindoor in detail and give its recommendations on the future of warfare, including emerging military platforms and technologies, and building national capacities for strategic communications in crisis.

"Will the report - after suitable redactions - be placed in Parliament like the report of the Kargil Review Committee was in Feb 2000?" Ramesh said.

The government had sent the multi-party delegations to convey a message of national unity in the fight against terrorism, with the likes of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi joining the ruling alliance members in championing the Indian cause abroad.

Prominent former parliamentarians in the delegations included ex-Union ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad and Salman Khurshid.

The Congress has also been urging the government to clarify US President Donald Trump's claims about brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and object to his hyphenation of India and Pakistan.

The government has maintained that issues between India and Pakistan will be resolved bilaterally and without any third-party intervention.

1 Comment

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