Protecting the Youth of Andaman & Nicobar Islands: A Call for Awareness, Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Collective Action
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are known for their natural beauty, peaceful communities, cultural diversity, and strategic importance to India. Yet, alongside this positive identity, the Islands face a serious challenge that deserves sustained attention—the threat posed by drug abuse and illegal narcotics trafficking. For a Union Territory where young people represent an important part of the social and economic future, protecting the younger generation from substance abuse is not merely a matter of individual well-being. It is also about protecting education, families, public safety, health, and the future development of the Islands. The seriousness of the narcotics challenge can be understood from major enforcement operations in the maritime region surrounding the Islands. On 24 November 2024, the Indian Coast Guard boarded and searched a Myanmar flagged fishing boat approximately 8 nautical miles from Barren Island in Indian territorial waters. The operation resulted in the recovery of approximately 5,500 kilograms of methamphetamine, and the six crew members onboard were identified as Myanmar nationals. The Government of India described the seizure as the biggest-ever drug haul by the Indian Coast Guard. (Official Source: Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Press Information Bureau, Release ID 2077225, 25 November 2024.)The challenge is also visible in narcotics enforcement within the Islands.
In September 2024, South Andaman Police reported the seizure of more than 2 kilograms of heroin, estimated to be worth approximately ₹14 crore, and the arrest of seven persons in connection with the case. (Official Source: South Andaman Police, Andaman & Nicobar Police, Press Release dated 11 September 2024.) These official enforcement records demonstrate the need for continued vigilance and coordinated action against illegal drug supply networks. It is important, however, to distinguish between drug-seizure statistics and drug-use statistics. A seizure of 5,500 kilograms of methamphetamine does not mean that the same quantity was consumed by people living in the Islands. Likewise, the number of persons arrested in NDPS cases cannot automatically be described as the number of drug users. These figures are indicators of narcotics trafficking and enforcement activity, not measurements of the percentage of young people using or becoming dependent on drugs. For the same reason, this article does not claim a specific percentage of youth addiction in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
A reliable island-specific youth addiction rate should come from a properly designed and officially documented survey or study. Where such a figure is not available from an authoritative source, presenting an estimate as fact would be misleading. Responsible public discussion requires us to use verified information while clearly acknowledging the limits of available data. The vulnerability of young people nevertheless makes prevention extremely important. Adolescence and early adulthood are periods of curiosity, emotional development, social influence and experimentation. Peer pressure, academic stress, family difficulties, loneliness, unemployment, lack of awareness, and unhealthy social environments can increase vulnerability to substance use. What may begin as curiosity or experimentation can gradually become repeated use and, for some individuals, dependence. The consequences can extend beyond physical health and affect education, relationships, financial stability, confidence, and future career opportunities.
Drug abuse should never be presented as a symbol of entertainment, modernity, or social acceptance. For a young person, the temporary attraction of a substance can have consequences that continue for years. A student who dreams of becoming a professional, entrepreneur, teacher, lawyer, public servant, healthcare worker, or skilled professional can lose valuable opportunities when substance use begins to control everyday life. The loss is therefore not limited to the individual; families can experience emotional and financial stress, while communities can face wider social consequences. The geographical position of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands makes the issue particularly important. The recovery of approximately 5,500 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Andaman Sea in November 2024 demonstrates the importance of maritime surveillance and coordinated action against international narcotics trafficking. (Official Source: Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Press Information Bureau, 25 November 2024.) Effective coordination among the Indian Coast Guard, Andaman & Nicobar Police, Customs, the Narcotics Control Bureau, and other competent authorities is therefore an important part of the overall response. Enforcement, however, cannot solve the problem by itself.
Prevention, awareness, counselling, and rehabilitation must go hand in hand with strong action against trafficking networks. Schools and colleges should become important centres for continuous drug-prevention education.
Students should receive factual information about the health, psychological, social, and legal consequences of substance abuse and should learn practical ways of dealing with peer pressure. Awareness must also reach young people in a language and format they understand. The Andaman & Nicobar Police have conducted student focused awareness activities across the Islands. During drug-awareness programs held across North and Middle Andaman on 18 and 19 September 2025, more than 1,100 students and 50 teachers participated in programs that included street plays and awareness activities. (Official Source: Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Police Newsletter, July–September 2025.) Such initiatives are valuable because prevention is most effective when young people receive accurate information before substance use becomes a serious problem. Rehabilitation is equally important. A young person struggling with substance use should not be permanently defined by his or her past.
Substance dependence may require medical care, psychological support, counselling, family involvement, and rehabilitation.
Young people who need help should be encouraged to seek professional assistance without fear of humiliation or social rejection. Early intervention can make it easier to prevent a developing problem from becoming a long-term dependency. Families also have a decisive role in prevention. Parents should maintain open communication with their children and create an environment in which young people can discuss academic pressure, emotional difficulties, peer pressure, and other challenges. A young person should feel safe asking for help. Early communication can help families recognise warning signs and seek appropriate professional assistance before a problem becomes more serious. Young people themselves must become an important part of the solution. Youth clubs, educational institutions, student organisations, and community groups can promote sports, cultural activities, music, arts, volunteering, skill development, entrepreneurship, career guidance, and community service.
These activities can provide young people with purpose, confidence, and a positive sense of belonging. Healthy friendships and meaningful opportunities can become powerful alternatives to harmful influences. Strong action against drug traffickers and organised suppliers must continue alongside prevention and rehabilitation. Those who profit from bringing narcotics into communities and distributing them among vulnerable people must face effective legal action. Enforcement agencies should continue strengthening intelligence gathering, maritime surveillance, inter-agency coordination, and investigation of illegal supply networks. At the same time, society must avoid treating every person affected by substance dependence simply as a criminal or social outcast. Young people who have fallen into addiction need an opportunity to recover and rebuild their lives. A balanced approach should therefore combine firm action against traffickers with appropriate treatment, counselling, and rehabilitation for people struggling with substance dependence.
The fight against drugs must ultimately become a collective movement. Government agencies and police authorities have a critical responsibility, but they cannot solve the problem alone. Educational institutions, parents, healthcare professionals, community organisations, youth groups, and students must all participate. The success of a drug-free campaign should not be measured only by the kilograms of narcotics seized. It should also be measured by how many young people are prevented from entering addiction, how many individuals recover successfully, how many families receive support, and how many students continue toward education, employment, and meaningful careers. The youth of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are not merely the future of the islands; they are an important part of their present strength. Their education, skills, creativity, and determination can contribute significantly to the Union Territory’s development. Protecting young people from drugs therefore means protecting their dreams, their families, and the future of the Islands. A drug-free Andaman and Nicobar Islands cannot be created through slogans alone. It requires continuous awareness, effective enforcement, accessible rehabilitation, responsible families, supportive educational institutions, and active youth participation. The message must reach every school, every college, every family, and every community: drug prevention is everyone’s responsibility. The Islands deserve a generation that is educated, skilled, healthy, confident, and free from addiction. If we protect the potential of our youth today, we strengthen the foundation of tomorrow. Say No to Drugs. Say Yes to Life. Say Yes to Education. Say Yes to Dreams. Say Yes to a Stronger and Drug-Free Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
By Satyajit Halder, B.A.LL.B & BA Sociology Student and Secretary in Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, National Executive Council (NEC) Member ABVP, Email: haldersatyajit7069@gmail.com (The Views were expressed in the Article is Author’s Personal).