“Drug abuse among the young can single-handedly destroy nations”

Karnataka State Legal Services Bureau Member-Secretary H. Shashidhar Shetty expressed grave concern over the ill effects of narcotics and said that if the youth of any country are addicted to drugs, it will be the real destruction of such a nation.

“Drug addiction among the youth alone can destroy any nation more than earthquakes, tsunamis and war,” he added.

He was addressing a gathering after launching a legal awareness and assistance program on drug abuse and POCSO Act 2012 at Yadgir Institute of Medical Sciences (YIMS) in Yadgir on Tuesday.

“The manufacture, sale and consumption of any drug is a crime under the law. The most worrying thing is that drugs are being produced and sold in the country unabated. In the early days, there were gangs who brought drugs from other countries and sold them here. These gangs are now actively running the drug business wherever they manufacture it themselves. Young people must be aware of the ill effects of drug consumption,” he said.

“There is information about sale of drugs near educational institutions. The department concerned should work effectively and eradicate such illegal and anti-social activities from their roots,” he said.

District Officer and Sessions Judge HJ Marulasiddaradhya, who presided over the programme, said that the POCSO Act is meant to protect the rights of children against sexual harassment.

Referring to an incident that was reported in the district where a minor girl gave birth to a baby in a hostel toilet, he said that such incidents are real concerns of the society.

YIMS Professor Preetam and Medical Superintendent Santosh Kumar warned against the sale of drugs in the district.

Senior Civil Judge and Member-Secretary of Mariyappa District Legal Services Authority and others were present.

Published – 7 Jul 2026 21:27 IST