This summer, Kashmir is facing three challenges simultaneously. The first is drug addiction. The second is rising temperatures. And the third one is environmental degradation. At first glance, they seem unrelated. However, looking closely, all three are about choices. The choices we make as individuals. The choices we make as a society. And the choices we make for the future.

The campaign against drug addiction has gathered remarkable momentum. The administration deserves appreciation for treating the issue as a social emergency rather than a routine law-and-order problem. Awareness programmes, community outreach, enforcement measures and public participation have brought the issue into the open. Big bungalows of drug peddlers are getting sealed, and silence is being replaced by discussion. Denial is giving way to action. That is a positive beginning. Every success story of recovery deserves celebration. Every young person brought back from addiction is a victory for society.

But every campaign eventually reaches a point where society must look beyond the symptoms. A young person does not wake up one morning and decide to destroy his future. There are influences. There are temptations. There are........

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