The Supreme Court on Monday voiced grave concern over the increasing prevalence of drug abuse among India’s youth, lamenting how substance use has become a symbol of being “cool.” A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and N. Kotiswar Singh made these remarks while upholding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into Ankush Vipan Kapoor, accused of running a heroin smuggling racket from Pakistan to India via sea routes.
Impact on Society and the Youth
Delivering the judgment’s operative part, Justice Nagarathna warned that drug abuse is eroding the nation’s youth, with severe socio-economic and psychological consequences. She noted that the drug trade not only destabilizes communities but also finances violence and terrorism. The judgment linked the rise in substance abuse to factors like peer pressure, academic stress, and cultural influences that glorify harmful lifestyles.
Call for Collective Action
The court urged parents, society, and state authorities to collaborate in combating the menace. It directed the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to spearhead a coordinated response. Justice Nagarathna emphasized the role of parents in fostering a nurturing environment to shield children from the lure of drugs, stating, “Love and affection are vital to counter substance abuse.”
Empathy and Rehabilitation Over Stigma
Highlighting the need to destigmatize addiction, the bench called for victims of drug abuse to be treated with empathy and rehabilitated. Justice Nagarathna urged adolescents to resist the glorification of substance use and focus on building a constructive future.
Preventive Measures and Education
The judgment stressed the importance of open dialogue, preventive measures, educational initiatives, counseling, and community-based interventions. “This is the need of the hour—to create constructive citizens and disrupt the profit chains of traffickers,” the court asserted.
The ruling came as the court upheld the NIA probe into Kapoor’s narcotics racket but extended its observations to address the broader societal challenges of drug abuse.