The curious case of 23 year old Aryan Khan, son of celebrity star Shah Rukh Khan has become the biggest discussion point in the country in recent times. The boy was arrested along with a few others by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) from a luxury cruise on a tip off for alleged drug abuse. The brouhaha doesn’t seem to die down. The media is raking in TRP with almost a 24 hour coverage on it and social media is not far behind.

But, is it the first time that a drug case has been found or is he the first youth who has been caught? If the answer is yes, we are living in a fool’s paradise. Drug consumption, addiction and peddling are much more common than we think. Many of the reported brawls, theft and murders are connected to drug addiction.

A UN report has stated that official number of addicts in India is 1 million and unofficially, there are as many as 5 million drug addicts with cannabis, heroin, opium, and hashish being the most commonly used drugs. Most of them are in the prime of their youth belonging to different strata of society. It is just not the rich and famous, but the poorest of the poor who get sucked into this fatal indulgence. It is a matter of grave concern and hence needs to be addresses by every stake holder.

Apart from availability, access and peer pressure, one’s psychological and emotional makeup plays a very significant role. Therefore, while the police, NCB, governments, policy makers do their bit, it is very essential to help children and youth develop a healthy personality and emotional health. This can help in building self-regulation and avoiding temptations which be a great preventive measure.

Dr. Manika Ghosh