It seems the ghost of the 1990s is returning to haunt Nagaland, as a second wave of addiction, fuelled by synthetic drugs, has led to a resurgence in drug abuse among the youth.
The thought of the tragedy that befell hundreds of families in Nagaland during the 1990s may still send chills down the spine of many. During this period, many young lives were cut short due to substance abuse, leaving families distraught and lowering public morale. The situation was so severe that criminal activities, including shootings and theft, increased astronomically. It was a forgettable era, an epoch the people of the state want to leave behind. The state did an incredible job of turning the tide, which was possible due to coordinated efforts from all stakeholders: government, law enforcement agencies, church bodies, and civil society organisations. The number of drug abusers declined drastically in subsequent years amid aggressive awareness campaigns, though the problem was not out of the woods. Sadly, it seems the ghost of the 1990s is returning to haunt Nagaland after a lull, as a 'second wave' of addiction, fuelled by synthetic drugs, has led to a resurgence in drug abuse among the youth. According to the police, as many as 766 cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between 2023 and 2026 in the state, leading to the arrest of 1,174 people, including 958 men and 216 women. While studies have estimated drug users at 5 to 6 per cent of the state's population, Director General of Police (DGP) Rupin Sharma claimed the actual number could be much higher—between 10 and 13 per cent—citing potential unreported cases. These figures, though unverified, carry weight, coming from the top police officer who is aware of the actual situation on the ground. It is an urgent call to arrest this trend.
Nagaland is currently faced with widespread abuse of synthetic drugs, which are man-made chemical substances produced in a laboratory rather than from natural sources. The proliferation of such substances poses a serious threat to public health and is reshaping illicit drug markets. Northeast India has become a hotbed for drug trafficking due to its proximity to the Golden Triangle—comprising Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand—the world's hub for both natural and synthetic drugs. The region has not only been turned into a major transit route for drugs but has also become a victim of abuse due to easy availability. Criminal actors are able to bypass the law to manufacture by exploiting regulatory loopholes and traffic modified synthetic substances along with standard industrial shipments, making it difficult for security personnel to detect. Even more alarming is that such harmful substances are often marketed as safe, making young people vulnerable. This loophole can be addressed through measures like strict law enforcement, penalisation of perpetrators, awareness campaigns, and education. To successfully combat this menace and reintegrate those suffering from addiction into the mainstream, the government should set up sufficient de-addiction and rehabilitation centres. Equally important is a robust social support mechanism.