Kerala, often lauded for its literacy and health indices, is now battling an alarming drug abuse crisis that threatens its social fabric. In 2024 alone, Kerala registered over 27,700 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, far outstripping Punjab’s roughly 9,000 cases. This makes Kerala the state with the highest rate of drug-related cases in India at 78 cases per lakh population, more than double Punjab’s rate. No district has been spared, every corner of Kerala is affected, with every one of its 14 districts logging 500 drug cases last year. The collateral damage is evident in rising crime: in the first two months of 2025, 30 murders, half of all murders in the state were linked to substance abuse. Clearly, God’s Own Country is in the grip of a drug epidemic that is widespread and escalating, demanding urgent attention.

A government report estimated that 7.5 lakh adults in Kerala use drugs, and alarmingly around 75,000 children (aged 10–17) are already users. These figures underscore how deeply the crisis has seeped into the younger demographic, threatening to rob a generation of its potential. The easy availability of novel drug forms has made the trap even more insidious: potent narcotics are being camouflaged as innocuous candies and chocolates to entice children, and shops peddling spiked sweets have emerged. In fact, the situation has grown so dire that sales of home drug-testing kits have skyrocketed, as anxious parents resort to checking their teenagers for substance use.

Why Kerala? Root Causes of the Drug Menace

Several interlocking factors have contributed to Kerala’s current situation. Geographic vulnerabilities play a significant role. The state’s extensive 590-km coastline is a double-edged sword: it facilitates commerce........

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