University drug abuse surging, expert warns of growing crisis

Drug abuse among university-going youth has emerged as a pressing public health concern, with experts flagging a noticeable uptick in consumption patterns among tertiary education students. The increase underscores growing accessibility to illicit substances and mounting peer pressure within institutional environments, according to those monitoring the issue.

Educators and health specialists attribute the rise to multiple contributing factors, including academic stress, social influences, and inadequate awareness programmes within universities. The prevalence appears to span various categories of substances, raising questions about campus security protocols and student support mechanisms.

The situation has prompted calls for strengthened intervention measures, including enhanced counselling services, awareness campaigns, and stricter regulatory oversight within educational institutions. University administrations have been urged to establish comprehensive substance abuse prevention frameworks and rehabilitation pathways for affected students.

Experts emphasise that early intervention and coordinated responses involving parents, educators, and health authorities are essential to arrest the trend. Academic institutions are being encouraged to create supportive environments that address underlying psychological and social drivers of substance abuse among their student populations.