Recently, our campus hosted an awareness talk under the Nasha-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan programme (initiated by Govt of India), which is about opening up an important conversation around the use and misuse of substances such as smoking, alcohol and other addictive behaviours. The session was not about fear or punishment rather it was about understanding the consequences and making choices for long-term wellbeing over short term feeling high.
For many college-going young adults living in hostels or shared residences, substance use often slips quietly into everyday life. It doesn’t start with a plan but it slowly infuses as just a cigarette during late-night conversations to fit in, the familiar “tea and cigarette” breaks to feel included, or a drink to relax and feel good. These moments rarely invite reflection. One choice leads to another, and soon the habit feels normal.
What begins as casual experimentation during student life can slowly turn into dependence which often goes unnoticed amid academic pressure, social bonding, and the freedom that comes with living away from home.
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