Last Updated on September 1, 2026 12:50 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
By Richa Pandey
Substance use among schoolchildren in India is often framed in extremes—either as a moral collapse or a law-and-order crisis. Both narratives overlook the child at the centre. A student experimenting with tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, cannabis, or misused pills may be driven by curiosity, peer influence, stress, loneliness, or the desire to belong—not necessarily by a path to lifelong addiction.
Recognising this distinction does not dilute the risks; it reshapes how adults respond. The most effective approach is neither alarm nor denial, but calm, informed support with clear boundaries and practical action.
A recent multi-city survey of 5,920 students in Classes VIII, IX, XI and XII across 10 Indian cities underlines why schools cannot postpone this conversation. It found that 15.1% of students had used at least one psychoactive substance in their lifetime, 10.3% had done so in the previous year, and 7.2% in the preceding month. Tobacco and alcohol were the most commonly reported substances, followed by non-prescribed opioids, cannabis and inhalants. The average reported age of initiation was 12.9 years; for inhalants, it was 11.3 years.1
Not one “kind” of child
The phrase “substance-using child” can easily evoke a familiar stereotype: a rebellious teenager, a “bad influence,” or a child from a troubled family. In reality, the pathways to substance use are far more varied and complex. A high-performing student may begin vaping or drinking at a party simply to avoid feeling awkward or left out. A child dealing with anxiety, bullying, grief or family conflict may turn to a substance as a temporary means of coping. Another may be introduced to it through older adolescents, while some may simply experiment without fully understanding the risks or consequences.
Schools should also resist treating every instance as equivalent. Trying a substance once, occasional use, harmful regular use and dependence require different responses. Equally, they should not be dismissed with “all teenagers experiment.” Early initiation can increase risk, particularly when it becomes a way of coping with distress.
News reports over the past few years show how varied the problem can be. In August 2024, a Class XII student in Chennai was reportedly found carrying packets of ganja to school after a teacher noticed unusual behaviour. The report noted that police recommended counselling for the student and awareness sessions for the wider school community. The important point is not the sensational detail. It is that one child’s incident should trigger a support-and-safety response for the whole school, rather than public humiliation or a search for a scapegoat2.
In Thiruvananthapuram, reporting in 20253 described investigations in which school students were allegedly targeted by peddlers, with some minors used as carriers for small payments. Nearby shops were also identified as possible sale points. This is a reminder that prevention is not only an individual child’s responsibility. It is also about adult supervision, local enforcement, safe routes to school, regulation of tobacco products, and alert neighbourhood networks.
Why fear-based messaging falls short
Many schools still rely on a familiar format: an annual assembly, a dramatic speech, graphic images and a pledge. Such programmes may communicate disapproval, but they do not always build the skills a child needs in a real situation.
Imagine a 14-year-old being offered a vape or alcohol by friends. They are unlikely to recall a long list of frightening health effects in that moment. What may help more is having rehearsed a simple response: “No, I’m not into it,” “I have practice tomorrow,” or “Let’s get something to eat instead.” It also helps if the child has one trusted adult they can approach without immediately fearing punishment or shame.
Fear can make young people hide problems. Shame can make parents delay seeking help. And a purely punitive approach can turn a student who needs assessment into a student who is isolated, labelled and pushed further from support.
This does not mean rules should disappear. Schools need clear policies: no possession, sale, sharing or use of tobacco, alcohol, vaping products or drugs on campus; prompt action where safety or criminal exploitation is involved; and firm safeguards against adults or older students supplying substances. But discipline works best when it is paired with an understanding of what happened, what the student needs, and how a recurrence can be prevented.
What schools can do differently
A practical school response should begin well before a crisis.
First, substance-use education should be integrated into regular life-skills and health education, not delivered as a one-off event. Students need accurate, age-appropriate information about tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, cannabis, prescription-drug misuse and vaping. More importantly, they need chances to discuss pressure, stress, online influence, decision-making and help-seeking.
Punjab’s recent initiative offers a useful direction. In August 2025, the state introduced an evidence-based anti-drug curriculum in 3,658 government schools for Classes IX–XII, designed to reach nearly eight lakh students. The programme uses 35-minute sessions every two weeks, including documentaries, quizzes, group activities and myth-busting around peer pressure, rather than relying only on warnings. As an educator-led approach4, it recognises that students learn better when they participate rather than merely listen.
Second, every school needs identifiable adults who are trained to respond. A class teacher, counsellor, school nurse or designated wellbeing lead should know how to notice possible warning signs without jumping to conclusions. These may include sudden changes in attendance, friendships, mood, sleepiness, falling concentration, frequent requests for money, unexplained possessions, or withdrawal from activities once enjoyed. None of these signs proves substance use; they are prompts for a private, respectful conversation.
The first question should not be, “What have you done?” A better opening might be: “You seem to be having a difficult few weeks. I’m not here to judge you. Is something going on that you would like help with?” That approach leaves room for students to speak about bullying, depression, family stress or coercion issues that may be more urgent than the substance itself.
Third, schools should build confidential referral pathways. Teachers are not expected to diagnose or treat dependence. Their role is to recognise concern, speak safely with the child, involve parents or guardians thoughtfully, and connect the family to qualified mental-health, paediatric or addiction-care professionals. In cases involving immediate medical risk, intoxication, self-harm, violence, coercion or drug supply, safeguarding and emergency procedures must take priority.
India’s School Health and Wellness Programme already provides a possible institutional foundation: government and government-aided schools are expected to have two trained Health and Wellness Ambassadors, preferably one male and one female, who conduct interactive health-promotion activities with students.5 Schools can use this structure more meaningfully by including conversations on coping, peer pressure, emotional regulation and where to seek help.
Parents, peers and communities
Parents do not need to become detectives, but they do need to become approachable. A child who expects only anger may lie; a child who expects a firm but caring response is more likely to disclose early experimentation. Useful conversations are specific and calm: “I heard vaping is becoming common among students. What are you seeing?” or “If someone offers you something at a party, what would make it easier to say no?”
Peer support matters too. Adolescents often speak first to friends. Student-led clubs can help create a culture in which looking out for a friend is normal but peers should never be turned into informers or amateur counsellors. Their role is to encourage a friend to seek adult help, not to investigate or manage the situation alone.
Community action also matters. The 2024 Chandigarh study, which included both school-going adolescents and school dropouts aged 13–19, found addictive behaviours in 19% of its sample and highlighted differences by schooling status and setting. Prevention, therefore, cannot be confined to school gates6. It must include families, youth clubs, health services, local retailers, community organisations and agencies responsible for restricting supply.
For families seeking initial guidance and referral support, the Government of India’s Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan publicises the toll-free helpline 14446 for primary counselling and immediate referralr̥7.
The central lesson is simple: children do not need moral panic; they need adults who can combine clarity with care. A school that treats substance use only as misconduct may get silence. A school that responds early, listens carefully, maintains boundaries and connects students to help has a better chance of keeping experimentation from becoming a deeper crisis.
Richa Pandey is an education researcher and educator currently working with the Ravi J. Matthai Centre for Educational Innovation at IIM Ahmedabad. She holds a PhD in Education from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, and has worked on teacher education, educational programmes and learning initiatives across government and nonprofit settings. Her research interests include children’s literature, educational equity, inclusion and learning.
References
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/student-caught-with-ganja-at-school-in-chennai/article show/112358296.cms
——..https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/excise-deploys-officers-to-monitor-school s/articleshow/121540144.cms
https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php%3Flang=1&level=2&sublinkid=818&lid=221
..https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/1-out-of-every-4-adolescents-into-smoking-drinkin g-or-drugs-study/articleshow/106335581.cms
7 https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2244520&lang=2®=48
https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/punjab-indias-first-evidence-based-anti-drug-cur riculum-3658-schools-2764611-2025-08-01