Young adults, according to psychiatrists, are more vulnerable to substance abuse than others because of varied reasons. “The human brain is an evolving organ till the age of 25. The areas that mature the last are the areas which are responsible for attention, judgement, learning from negative experiences etc. These areas are not fully matured in adolescents hence they are far more impulsive and can indulge in high risk activities,” said Dr Vivek Benegal, associate professor of Psychiatry, De-addiction Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans).

How do the young adults treat this piece of information? “Yeah, we know it and also what everybody tells us...that our lungs will pack off and some cancer sh** will happen if we puff too much. We know of people who never touched a cigarette in their lives and yet died of some vague cancer,” replied an 18-year-old.

“I’m not surprised at the response. If you give them some horror story..of skulls and bones, it works like magnet for them. They’ll dare you. Instead a sensitive, caring adult can engage a youth’s attention by asking him or her to look at how use of substance can affect the development of his brain and how his bad breath can drive away his girl friend!” said Dr Benegal.

Let’s have a look at why adolescents and young adults take to substance use? It’s interesting how perspectives vary; from a student to a shrink to a cop, who is waiting to raid the joint where contraband is sold and book people there under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

“I tried smoking because I felt I should. It became a habit because I liked it. And before I knew it I started going to the shop to buy it without realising it...it became like brushing teeth,” said a pre-20 young man.

“The youth are impulsive and curious. They start using substance for various reasons. They may want to be part of the gang or model after their parents or may have some inner need. They may also indulge in it out of sheer boredom because our experience tells us that these are exceptionally bright kids. They multi-task; are hyperactive; are in the limelight because of oppositional behaviour and are prone to indulge in high-risk behaviour. These are adolescents with a spark of genius and a huge amount of energy. Because their brain is still underdeveloped, they don’t have early warning signals, which warn them of the consequences of their addiction,” said Dr Benegal.

“Not all students take on to drug abuse. It depends on the attitude and lack of parental guidance. There’s no control over students,” said a senior police officer in-charge of drugs and narcotics squad.

“Our major concern is that most of these drug joints are near colleges, especially medical and engineering colleges. There are lot of peddlers, who thrive on the student market. Also the pubs and bars are strategically located near the colleges. The success of happy hours is backed by student support,” said another cop.

“Inconsistent parenting and lack of family support do contribute to an adolescent getting into substance abuse. If we increase the age of initiation, from below 16 to above 21 years, we would be able to achieve 70 per cent of the impact of total prohibition. Parents should communicate with their children, teach them coping skills and spend quality time with them. Involving them in sports also helps,” said the psychiatrist.

“It makes no sense when my mom tells me that I may not be able to play cricket that well if I smoke. It depends on my dedication to the activity. If I am a good player I will not do something stupid to bring that down but if I play a sport as a hobby what difference does it make if I smoke?” said another young man.

“I would like to have a holistic look at the person; his level of self esteem, coping and problem solving abilities, communication skills and find out whether he has goals in life; how adjusted he is within his own family. I would try and treat the lacuna rather than substance abuse, which to me is only a symptom, of something deeper inside,” said counsellor and psychologist Dr Ali Khwaja.

“But our stand is clear. Any body involved in substance abuse will be booked under the NDPS Act,” said a police officer And just how many students have been held under the Act? “None so far,” he added.