Jalandhar: 17-year-old boy reaches rehabilitation centre to get rid of drug addiction

Jalandhar: A 17-year-old youth from a village in Nawanshahr came to the Red Cross Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts (IRCA) today seeking help to overcome his addiction. According to centre officials, the youth has been addicted to drugs since the tenth grade. He explained that he initially fell into bad company, which led him down the path of substance abuse. He confessed, “I tried every kind of drug I should never have touched. I want to quit, but it’s becoming more difficult every day. When I take chitta (heroin), I feel peace and I start liking everyone. But without it, I become desperate and start asking my parents for money—I even abuse and beat them.” The youth’s father, a driver, recently returned from abroad a year ago, while his sister also lives abroad. The boy said regretfully, “I also wanted to go abroad and earn a living, but now I’m stuck in this quagmire.” His mother, visibly distressed, shared her concerns about her son’s violent behavior. “I don’t know how to control him now,” she said. Chaman Singh, project director of the Red Cross IRCA in Nawanshahr, said the center is committed to helping the youth. “We have advised him to go to the Civil Hospital. A psychiatrist will guide him there,” he said. This case highlights the growing threat of drug abuse among youth, especially in rural areas, and the urgent need for community awareness and strong rehabilitation support systems. Chaman Singh, 70, project director of the Red Cross Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for Addicts, has been raising awareness about drug abuse among people, especially youth, for the past 12 years. The center is fighting drug abuse in its own way. Singh has treated over 3,500 inmates so far. He previously told The Tribune, “I know how they should be treated and how much love they need.”