Kohima: Substance abuse is tearing through Nagaland. Experts are demanding a move away from shame and toward a health-based strategy. Dr. Emmanuel L. Yanthan, an adolescent health coach, says the crisis stems from systemic, individual, and structural gaps. Young people migrating from rural villages to cities like Dimapur and Kohima lose their family safety nets. Loneliness and stress follow. Peer pressure and a lack of awareness drive the youth toward drugs.
The state lacks the infrastructure to handle the fallout. Nagaland has too few rehab centres and trained counsellors. Dr. Yanthan pushes for six specific fixes. He wants stigma-free community responses, better training, and stricter border policing. He also wants youth empowerment through churches and sports. "Addiction is a health and brain issue, not a moral failure or a character flaw," he said.
Punishment fails to fix the problem. Bendangienla Amri, a counsellor at the District TB Office in Mokokchung, argues that judgment does more harm than good. Communities must build youth-led hubs for sports and skills. These spaces kill the boredom that fuels addiction. Amri wants leaders to replace stigma with kindness. This shift helps young people seek help early.
Recovery needs a roadmap to stay effective. Amri insists that rehabilitation must include job training and steady work. A future keeps people on the right path. "They do not need our judgment; they need our active, consistent support," she said. Families, institutions, and the government must work together to help the youth recover.
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