India, May 5 -- Chandigarh tricity is battling a growing drug problem. From posh localities to slums, drug abuse has infiltrated every section of society, leaving youngsters particularly vulnerable. The drug trail in Chandigarh is as diverse as it is dangerous. Substances available in the city include smack, heroin, ganja, injections (including Buprenorphine), opium, charas, poppy husk, Ice (crystal meth), cocaine, and codeine-based cough syrups. While heroin and smack remain the most commonly seized drugs, newer substances like Ice and cocaine are gaining ground, particularly among youngsters. Chandigarh Police registered 90 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2024, a decline from 147 cases in 2023. The police say though the number of cases came down, the problem is deeper as they seized 5.353 kg of heroin, 20.36 gm of cocaine, 24.82 gm of ICE, 3.164 kg of charas, 7.830 gm of ganja, and 2.567 gm of opium last year. In adjoining Mohali, which shares a contiguous border with Chandigarh, police have identified three major drug hotspots - Balongi, Trivedi Camp in Dera Bassi, and Bangala Basti in Kharar. The police found heroin sourced from Punjab's border areas, cocaine from Delhi and opium and intoxicant pills smuggled from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh at these hotspots. Panchkula police destroyed 110kg of narcotics seized in connection with 44 NDPS cases in January, showing the problem is equally serious in Haryana cities bordering Punjab. To facilitate community involvement, the police put out drug info helpline 7087081100, assuring confidentiality for informants. After a six-day padyatra (march) in Punjab in April, UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, who is also the governor of the state where the problem has become a scourge, put the spotlight on it in Chandigarh on Saturday. The tricity can set an example with tangible results by following a two-pronged approach. While the government is doing its bit by cracking down on peddlers to cut the drug supply chain, collective effort at the society's level will ensure rooting out the problem. The family being the foundation of society could play a crucial role by being the first responder when a youngster shows behavioural changes of drifting into addiction. Parents should stay alert and counsel their children besides being good role models....