The Supreme Court on Monday expressed deep dismay over the alarming rise of drug abuse among India’s youth, remarking that substance abuse has regrettably become a symbol of being “cool”.
A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh made these observations while affirming a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against Ankush Vipan Kapoor, accused of involvement in a drug trafficking network that smuggled heroin from Pakistan into India via sea routes.
Justice Nagarathna, delivering the operative part of the judgment, warned of the severe socio-economic and psychological effects of drug abuse, which she said threatens to “corrode the shine of the nation’s youth.” The full text of the verdict is expected to be out later in the day.
The court called for immediate and collective action from multiple stakeholders, including parents, society and state authorities, to stem the menace and issued guidelines to the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to lead a coordinated response.
The court noted with “earnest disquiet” the unprecedented proliferation of drugs across India, which it said transcends age, community and religion. Highlighting the devastating consequences, justice Nagarathna observed that the drug trade funds violence and terrorism while destabilising society.
The judgment linked the rise in drug consumption among youth to factors such as peer pressure, academic stress and cultural influences that it said promote “dangerous lifestyles”.
The court expressed particular concern over how “escapism” has become a default mechanism for dealing with challenges, urging the younger generation to take charge of their decisional autonomy.
The bench underscored the critical role of parents in curbing substance abuse, urging them to provide a nurturing and emotionally secure environment for their children. “The most important yearning of adolescents is love and affection from parents,” noted justice Nagarathna, adding that affection and compassion can counteract the lure of substance abuse.
Emphasising the importance of destigmatising addiction, the court called for victims of drug abuse to be treated with empathy and supported through rehabilitation. “This is the need of the hour—to create constructive citizens and to cut off the profit supply of drug traffickers,” the judgment asserted.
Justice Nagarathna called on adolescents to resist the glorification of substance use and work toward becoming constructive citizens.
“Drug abuse cannot be treated as a taboo,” noted the court, calling for open dialogue and preventive measures to protect vulnerable sections of society. It stressed the importance of educational initiatives, counselling and community-based interventions to combat the menace effectively.
The judgment came as the court upheld an NIA investigation into Kapoor’s alleged involvement in a narcotics racket smuggling heroin from Pakistan into India. The court’s observations, however, extended beyond the specific case, addressing the broader societal challenges posed by substance abuse.
