Alarming rise in substance abuse among youths calls for policy-level intervention

A 2020 survey showed that as many as 130,424 Nepalis were abusing drugs. Police estimate the number will double in the next survey in 2025.

In mid-June, a worried couple in their mid-forties visited the Koteshwar-based Narcotics Control Bureau with a problem. The couple came from a well-off family in Bhaisepati, Lalitpur and were concerned about the abnormal habits of their only, 20-year-old, son. Over the past few weeks, their son came home late at night, his eyes red. Curiously, however, he didn’t reek of alcohol or cigarettes. He would easily get irritated, ask the couple for money frequently, and show no interest in communicating with them or their relatives. If he didn’t leave the house, he would stay holed up in his room, with the door locked from inside. The room would be a mess, with chocolate wrappers strewn all over the floor. All tell-tale signs that the wide-eyed young adult had gotten into drugs.