Over the past few decades, the spread of drugs in Punjab has increased at a dangerously rapid pace. In elections held every five years, drugs have become the main issue. Political parties offer different slogans to stop this menace. The political party that wins the election holds the previous governments responsible for this problem. The opposition passes its time by accusing the government of collusion. 
Governments run campaigns under various names to stop drug use and its black business, but the current picture is very horrific. In every village, young people are dying due to drug injections, pills, and various other chemical intoxicants. In some families, the only son has fallen victim to this epidemic. 
In many families, no means of earning or livelihood remains. Today, in every village of Punjab, stories of destruction caused by drugs can be heard. Truly, the smiling and prosperous Punjab has been struck by the evil eye.
A few days ago, a very strange and heartbreaking news came from a village in Mansa district. A drug-addicted married couple sold their 6-month-old innocent child to someone for 1 lakh 80 thousand to fulfill their drug needs. Punjab, where wishes for milk and sons are made and we give blessings of milk and sons to others, has today reached such a level of degradation that some parents trade their child merely to satisfy their vices.
 Today, such things have become common and ignored, like someone selling household items, jewelry, or land and property for their drugs. But selling a child for the greed of drugs—at least in Punjab, this had not been heard before. What kind of dark picture is this of the colorful Punjab? Today, the biggest challenge for our society, community, and families is the spreading menace of drugs day by day. It is a bitter truth that drugs destroy. Today, Punjab's name has become associated with drugs. Most news in newspapers and electronic broadcast media is linked to this terrible valley.
If we talk about the increasing trend of drugs in Punjab, there are many reasons for it. Unemployment and economic hardship prevalent among the youth class in today's era is also a major reason. In our state, private educational institutions have increased in countless numbers. Today, every child from every family, after spending large sums, obtains degrees and roams unemployed. Even if someone succeeds in getting a job in a private institution, the salary is so low that one feels ashamed to tell anyone. 
In this situation, feelings of inferiority and despair arise. Punjab's geographical location is also such that a large part of it borders Pakistan, which is considered an easy route to deliver drug consignments to Punjab and the rest of the country. Daily, bundles of poisonous drugs are being thrown into villages in border districts through drains. Our security agencies are successful in catching them. But there is a need to stop them effectively.
Anyway, drug abuse is a global problem, but for a developing country like India, it is a cause of great concern. Today, in India, especially among the youth class in Punjab, drug use is increasing day by day. Girls have also not escaped this menace. Our young generation, which in the true sense is the future of the country, has today strayed from its path. Trapped in the quagmire of drugs, the youth are not only blurring their own future but also leading the country and nation towards degradation. 
According to a survey, 80% of youth are addicted to some drug or the other. Today, every child and youth has access to the internet, where it is a storehouse of knowledge, but it has also become a means of misleading. Sitting alone with their mobiles, children and youth search for addictive medicines and other intoxicants. Some Punjabi songs are also responsible for promoting drugs. Over a few decades, the interest in consuming tobacco has increased significantly in Punjab. For this, Punjabis are also getting affected by imitating migrant laborers.
The picture of today's Punjab is very worrisome. Families are breaking due to drugs. Domestic violence and many other types of crimes are increasing. Today, there is a need to fight unitedly against drugs. Governments, in their place, try to reduce this problem. But social, religious, and educational institutions can also play a positive role in this work. 

-Davinder Kumar