A semi-dark smoke filled room lighted by a table lamp in one corner. Thin, gaunt young boys and girls sporting trendy clothes, mainly jeans and colourful t-shirts lounging on the floor staring into the space or smoking hand made cigarattes. A boy holds an injection in his hand and then wrinkles his face in pain as he injects it into his arm and waits for the effect. Another guy pops a pill into his mouth. A girl laughs at something she appears to see in the air, a boy twists his face in a horrible manner and makes wierd gestures with his hands. All slowly sink into a sleep due to the effect of drugs. This is the sophisticated city crowd of youngsters trying to escape the harsh realities of life. There is also the youngman from a slum who is poor and downtrodden who is similarly addicted. Infact drug addiction has become a terrible menace in every class of the society. In every case it causes a great amount of havoc on the addict as well as the members of his family.

Drug addiction has become a serious problem and the reasons for it are not difficult to find. The home enviromment can be said to be a major contributory factor when youngsters run astray. The hectic modern  life with both parents working outside the house to make both ends meet, they have little time to spend with their children. Consequently, youngsters have little inclination to stay alone at home and easily fall into bad company. They try to experiment with various wrong things, mainly drugs at the slightest provocation of others who are no doubt spoilt and might already be addicted. These youngsters begin merely to see what it is like, and before they realise it, they get trapped and become addicted. Infact, drugs like smack, make one an addict with the very first dose.

Again, our educational system is also to be blamed for not giving the students the right kind of guidance. Our educational system  is totally examination oriented. Right from the beginning, the concentration is on academic subjects and on the important questions in each subject. Students just mug them up. There is no or little provision for moral education and neither are there sufficient extra curricular activities which can divert the physical and men tal energy of the students towards constructive purposes.

Yet again, the teachers too, for the most part, are indifferent to the imotional needs of the students. Bothered by their own personal problems, the teachers have little time or the inclination to create sufficient rapport with the students so that the latter feel free enough to discuss any questions which might loom large in their minds. As a result the youngster do not really know who to turn to for guidance and hence are misled by spoilt friends.

Yet again, there is no arrangement for the youngsters to spend their leisure hours in a constructive manner in interesting hobbies or sports – and it is a well known fact that idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Consequently, young boys and girls turn their heads for finding new avenues for excitement and adventure and fall prey to this vicious habbit.

Once addicted, the individual makes life a hell for himself as well as others. His stidies of course cease to interest him for he is in a constant world of unconsciousness and he is unable to act or think like a normal human being. If the person is working, he begins to neglect his work and often loses his job. Further, the desperation to take drugs leads the individual to go to any extent to acquire money whether it means selling away personal goods or those belonging to other members of the family or even stealing from wherever it is possible. The individual thus not only destroys his own career but also becomes a terrible burden on his family and the society at large. His health suffers, he loses his mental balance and he is reduced to an unhealthy skeleton like appearance.

The drug addict finds it virtually impossible to get rid of his addiction, for once the drug has entered his blood it becomes a part of his body system. When he does not get his drug dose the addict experiences torturous aches and he can do anything for the drug to relieve this torture. He can even kill a person in such a condition.

Thus it is imperative that this problem receives urgent attention. First of all, a drug addict should be helped to de-addict himself. This necessiates hospitalization in a de-addiction clinic. Even after de-addiction the individual requires the sympathetic attention of his friends and family members. Looking down on him, passing sarcastic comments on his previous misdeeds or isolating and ostracizing him only drives him once more to his old addiction. Acceptance by the society is very important for it makes him feel wanted and he should be helped by everyone so that he can become a constructive member of the society once again.

The most important thing however, is to prevent the problem from  occuring. The first responsibility lies with the parents since the youngster spends the maximum time at home and it is from the example of his elders at home that he forms his values in life and the home environment that makes him feel secure.

Further, the school curriculum should include moral education as part of the curriculum in which interesting issues of the modern society could be discussed so that students the students would be able to think for themselves and form good values. Yet again, the teachers too should take more interest in their students and form a rapport so that the students feel free to question, discuss or seek advice on problems or doubts they do not feel free to talk about at home.

Further, sufficient provisions by way of hobbies and sports should be made in every locality so that the youngsters get the opportunity to pass their leisure hours constructively. For this to happen, not only the government should take initiatives but also the society should come forward.

Another means is to use mass-media – the television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the internet to propagate the harmful effects of drug addiction.

Finally, there is the law which should be strictly implemented to penalize those persons who are found guilty of selling drugs or encouraging people to take drugs.

 It is thus upto us in the society to prevent youngsters from falling prey to this terrible habbit and to help those who are already addicted. Say no to drugs and say yes to life.