ACROSS Pakistan, a silent but dangerous crisis is unfolding.

From major cities to small towns and villages, many young people are falling into addiction not through illegal street drugs, but through medications legally sold over pharmacy counters. Benzodiazepines, anabolic steroids and opioid-based painkillers are widely available without prescriptions or proper checks. What often begins as an attempt to manage anxiety, stress or sleep problems quickly turns into dependency, making this a serious public health emergency with long-term consequences.

A 2019 study by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) revealed that nearly 25 percent of young people in urban areas had used prescription drugs recreationally. Similarly, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned that non-medical use of prescription drugs is rising........

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