Tadka Talk has always aimed to highlight topics that society often pushes into the shadows. Everyone repeats the phrase “Drugs are dangerous,” but how many of us honestly acknowledge the alarming scale of drug abuse among India’s youth? Despite rising awareness, the crisis continues to grow silently, affecting Gen Z and millennials and threatening their future potential. This is the moment to break the silence, face the hard truths, and spark a real movement to eliminate drugs from our society.

India’s Youth Drug Crisis: Startling Realities

Drug abuse among young Indians has rapidly turned into a major public health emergency:

• Nearly 33% of youth aged 10–24 have used some form of substance, with the average initiation age being just 17.2 years.
  
• Tobacco (26.4%) and alcohol (26.1%) remain the most common substances, followed by cannabis (9.5%) and opioids (5.6%).
  
• Shockingly, more than 1.5 crore minors (10–17 years) are using substances, showing how early and vulnerable this exposure really is.
  
• Regions like Mizoram (89%), Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra are major hotspots for youth drug use.
  
• The rise of new synthetic drugs, easy online access, and peer pressure are worsening the situation.
  
• According to the Narcotics Control Bureau, drug seizures hit a record ₹25,330 crore in 2024, reflecting the massive illegal trade that fuels addiction.
  
  

Why Gen Z and Millennials Are Becoming Targets

• Peer pressure and social media often glamorize drug use.
• Many young people struggle with mental health issues, leading them toward self-medication.
• Rising academic and workplace stress also pushes some toward substance use.
• The easy availability of prescription drugs and synthetic variants increases accessibility and risk.
  

India’s Fightback: Major Initiatives

NGOs Leading the Battle Against Addiction

• Gunjan Organisation for Community Development: Works extensively in Himachal Pradesh on heroin and synthetic drug rehabilitation among youth. Mobile-no: 9459082624
• Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM): Focuses on harm reduction and adolescent outreach, especially in urban communities Phone: 011-41003872.
• Kripa Foundation: One of Asia’s biggest de-addiction networks, offering awareness and rehabilitation across India. Phone: +91 93246 92520
• The Hope Foundation: Known for scalable, structured rehabilitation programs for urban youth.
  Phone: +91 9654138088
• Dera Sacha Sauda (DEPTH Campaign): A spiritual organization using meditation and holistic healing to treat addiction—often rehabilitating individuals within just seven days. Their vast volunteer network actively reaches out to vulnerable youth and families in Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi through mass campaigns and direct interventions. Phone: +91 1666238251

Global Lessons — and the Road Ahead for India

Countries like Portugal and Canada have shown that treating addiction as a public health issue, not merely a crime, leads to far better outcomes. They emphasize:

• Harm reduction
• Early intervention
• Community-based rehabilitation

India’s future strategy must combine these global insights with culturally rooted support systems and youth-driven advocacy.

What Works — and What Doesn’t

Effective approaches include:

• Early education
• Family and community involvement
• Removing stigma
• Strong mental health support
• Accessible rehab services
  
  

What doesn’t work:

• Purely punitive approaches
• Social stigma
• Insufficient funding
• Weak follow-up and aftercare
  

A Rallying Call to India’s Youth

The drug epidemic is not just a threat—it’s a challenge that demands action. You, the youth, have the power to change the nation’s future. Make informed choices, support friends and family battling addiction, and demand strong mental health and drug education systems.

Along with the government and NGOs like Dera Sacha Sauda, Gunjan, and Kripa Foundation, we can transform this situation—from silence to awareness, from despair to hope, and from crisis to recovery.

The time to speak up and act is now. India’s youth deserve a drug-free tomorrow—and that journey begins with you.

Sources:

[1](https://www.business-standard.com/health/india-drug-crisis-youth-addiction-trends-svb-reform-rehabilitation-2025-125070100241_1.html)

[2](https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rising-drug-abuse-among-youth)

[3](https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/article/view/14686)

[4](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2025/may/doc202556550801.pdf)

[5](https://nisd.gov.in/drug_abuse_prevention.html)

[6](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12410850/)

[7](https://socialjustice.gov.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Survey%20Report.pdf)

[8](https://nmba.dosje.gov.in/content/about-us)

[9](https://www.unodc.org/unodc/data-and-analysis/world-drug-report-2025.html)

[10](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10988150/)

[11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZUEmfq_uBc)

[12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1eCuzxuRqk)

[13](https://azbigmedia.com/lifestyle/10-best-drug-addiction-treatment-and-rehabilitation-centers-in-india/)

[14](https://www.facebook.com/DeraSachaSauda.Org/posts/joining-the-fight-against-drugs-dera-sacha-sauda-volunteers-are-dedicated-to-aid/768564708640005/)