Supreme Court Expresses Concerns About Expanding Drug Trade, Urges Youth To Resist Peer Pressure & Stop Emulating Addicts

The Supreme Court today (December 16) held that the National Investigation Agency while investigating a scheduled offence can also investigate a non-scheduled offence or a person involved in a non-scheduled offence provided there is a nexus with the scheduled offence. In the judgment, the Court made certain observations on the ripple effect of illicit drug trade and drug abuse. It held that the arc and web of drug trade cannot be permitted to corrode the shine of the youth of India while laying down some suggestions for parents and other stakeholders to ensure that drug abuse is no longer treated as a taboo and that rehabilitation should be the centre of focus.While upholding the rejection of bail of a person accused of cross-border drug trade,b ench of Justices BV Nagarathna and NK Singh observed that despite the best efforts of the State, an unprecedented scale of coordination and profit-seeking has sustained the menace of drug trade and abuse, so hard-hitting and multifaceted that it causes suffering cutting across age groups, communities, and regions.It observed: "Worse than suffering and pain is the endeavour to profit from it and use the proceeds thereof for the committing of other crimes against society and the State such as conspiracy against the State and funding terrorist activities. Profits from drug trafficking are increasingly used for funding terrorism and supporting violence."The Court noted that India is currently grappling with an expanding drug trade and a rising addiction crisis. It referred to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment's 2019 Report (“MoSJE 2019 Report”) on 'Magnitude of Substance Use in India,' which according to the Court revealed that nearly 2.26 crore people use opioids in India."It was also borne out that substance use exists in all the population groups; however, adult men bear the brunt of substance use disorders. After alcohol, cannabis and opioids are the next most commonly used substances in India. About 2.8% of the population (3.1 crore individuals) reported having used cannabis and its products, of which 1.2% (approximately 1.3 crore persons) was illegal cannabis and its products," the Court averred.The Court stated that alarmingly, the rate of opioid dependence is pacing at an alarming rate, partly due to the ongoing narcotic trade across the country's borders and their consequent ease of availability.Quoting the report, the Court noted: "According to the MoSJE 2019 Report, there are approximately 77 lakh problem opioid users – the Report defines “problem users” as those using the drug in harmful or dependent pattern in India. More than half of 77 Lakh problem opioid users in India are spread throughout the States of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Orissa."Easy access to drugs and its consequencesThe Court noted that studies across the globe suggest that easy access to narcotic substances, peer pressure, and mental health challenges particularly in the context of academic pressure and family dysfunction could be significant contributors to this disturbing trend. "Addiction at a young age can derail academic, professional and personal aims, leading to long-term socio-economic instability of almost an entire generation. The psychological impact of drug abuse, including depression, anxiety, and violent tendencies, further exacerbates the problem. The reasons behind this rise in juvenile addiction are complex. Peer pressure, lack of parental affection, care and guidance, stress from academic pressures and the easy availability of drugs contribute to this alarming trend. In many cases, adolescents resort to drugs as a form of escapism, trying to cope with personal and emotional issues," the Court averred.How to address drug abuse in adolescent The Court stated that preventing drug addiction among adolescents requires a concerted effort from multiple stakeholders: parents and siblings, schools and the community.It cited the MoSJE 2019 Report which found that only one among four persons suffering from dependence on illicit drugs had ever received any treatment and only one in twenty persons with illicit drug dependence ever received any in-patient treatment. Therefore, given the disturbing rise in adolescent drug use, urgent interventions are needed, it suggested.For youth of India The Court stated that for youngsters just beginning to explore the world, the consumption of drugs in popular culture has propelled the cultural push towards a dangerous lifestyle, one that incorrigibly applauds drugs use as 'cool' and a fashionable display of camaraderie. It held: "We implore the youth to take charge of their decisional autonomy and firmly resist peer pressure and desist from emulation of certain personalities who may be indulging in drugs. It is sad that vulnerable children turn to drugs as an escapism from emotional distress and academic pressures or due to peer pressure. The...

Supreme Court Expresses Concerns About Expanding Drug Trade, Urges Youth To Resist Peer Pressure & Stop Emulating Addicts

Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

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