Well educated, properly guided and rightly engaged youths can best shoulder the role of nation building. However, challenges remain to save them from being swayed by bad company into undesirable activities. The young generation is full of energy but it is equally susceptible to be misguided into harmful orientation such as drug abuse, hooliganism and gang activities. The schooling starts right at childhood in the family which shapes up a young mind even before entering the school. Parental instructions, guidance and company can make a difference in this regard but many youths are compelled by circumstance to stay out of parental affection and bond and may fall in bad company. This void in family upbringing can lead some youths to drug abuse and other behavioural problems. A person is best shaped into a good citizen right from childhood so that his adulthood heads to become creative and productive for the society.

There was a troubling news in this daily the other day that some youths in Nepal urban areas have fallen into the habit of using an illegal drug known as Yaba or horse pill. Use of this drug has been banned but ironically the number of illegal users, especially the youths, has been increasing. Abuse of this banned substance is rampant in parties and amusement centres. This revelation has come from the police sources. Police administration is entrusted to deal with the abuse of narcotic substances and illegal drugs and thus they are the ones who should find proper measures to control the trend. Preventive and curative legal steps must be taken on time before things become too difficult to bring under control. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Nepal Police says that the use of this substance is growing. One desirable measure would be to impose tighter control on the import itself. However, its import is increasing. As the police have the information about it, they should sound an alarm bell and spring into action to control the trade and abuse.

Yaba is largely used by teenagers during party gatherings. It is also smoked in hookah offered by some restaurants and dance bars in urban areas like Kathmandu and Pokhara. Being addicted to such substances corrupts the creativity of the youths, squanders hard earned money of the parents and puts a lid on the bright prospects and potential of the individuals concerned. This is certainly a matter of serious concern for the parents, educational institutions, teachers and the society as a whole. The news report brought to light that Nepal is slowly emerging as a transit point for the smuggling of this banned substance to India, Australia and New Zealand. According to NCB, it has seized almost seven kilograms of Yaba along with 325 grams of another banned drug methamphetamine in the past seven years. Some drug dealers have also been arrested. But that may be only the tip of the iceberg because there is increasing trend of use which cannot happen without increased supply. Use of this substance will keep rising until there is harsher measures in place to bust the larger network of illegal suppliers.