Eshan Chakraborty, 22, a film studies student based in Kolkata, took his first bottle of beer one day in 2014 during Durga Puja to beat the heat. He drank his first whisky in 2015, and later on, he also smoked a joint. As things progressed, Chakraborty began experimenting with a variety of drugs for the sheer joy of it. But eight years later, he regrets it all.

“Whenever I consumed a substance, I was in the moment. There was nothing that dragged me down—no ego, no worries. I had a way of connecting with people. In order for me to be in sync with the things, alcohol, marijuana, or other narcotics served as catalysts,” claims Chakraborty.

Substance abuse is common among young people all over the world. At parties, and get-togethers, young people use alcohol, cigarettes, and sometimes even marijuana and other hard drugs might even make it to the table. Be it curiosity or peer pressure, young people are enticed into trying addicting substances, and often they have no idea of the dangers the addiction can cause.

Samrat Bastola, 22, is currently pursuing a Computer Science degree in the United States. “When I was 13, I was just curious and tried vodka. As I grew older, I began drinking heavily. It was all to get away from what was going on at the time: academics, family problems, and stress.” Bastola adds that he was a serial procrastinator and substances helped him avoid real-life responsibilities.

The cause

According to Dr Suman Adhikari, consulting neuropsychiatrist at Manoshastra Counselling and Research Centre, substance abuse is closely linked with mental health problems, especially among today’s youth.

Adhikari adds that technological advancement has significantly impacted human relationships today. Although social media has reached all corners of Nepal and though there has been an increase in mental health literacy, it isn’t enough.

“Human emotions and real-life relationships are being replaced by virtual interactions,” says Adhikari. Many families have transitioned to nuclear families, and people no longer have time for one another. When both parents work, a child may not receive enough love, care, and attention. This is where internet exposure comes to play.

“Imitation and modelling are serious issues. When you see an influencer living a lavish lifestyle and realise you can’t have it which may lead to depressive episodes. To overcome this sadness, one may surrender to substances because they provide instant relief and act as an escape into the life you always wanted,” Adhikari explains.

People begin by using substances such as alcohol, marijuana, or cigarettes. These are all gateway drugs. “There is an incorrect belief that marijuana acts as a poppy to the soul. One may believe it improves concentration and helps you focus on your studies. It’s easy to mistake it for a recreational drug,” Adhikari says.

Cannabis is legal in some countries where it is used to treat eating disorder, AIDS, and chronic cancer, among others. However, people abuse drugs because they are unaware of the underlying dangers. The immediate high leads them to believe that these substances are euphoric paradise.

Twenty-year-old Sapana Khatri is a media student based in Kathmandu. She has similar experiences with substance abuse. “I tried cannabis infused brownies for the first time just for the hype. I felt a little anxious, but overall, I liked the feeling, I could really concetrante. I could escape my usual overthinking and distractions,” says Khatri, adding that as she started using cannabis substances more and more, it started taking a toll on her body. She started getting more anxious and realised that this form of escape was not worth it.

According to Adhikari, drugs and alchohol can cause dopamine levels in your brain to rise. You experience immediate happiness. However, the changes in your brain caused by the use of these substances gradually develop into a physical and psychological dependence. “A regular cannabis may progress to cocaine, morphine, heroin, brown sugar, and other injectables,” says Adhikari.

The escapism

Substance abuse can occur for a variety of reasons. Aashma Pokharel, a 20-year-old student from Itahari, recalls a specific incident with her distant relative. The relative lived with his grandparents because both of his parents had gone abroad. He wasn’t attached to his family and wouldn’t even answer the phone when his parents tried desperately. “He found solace in weed (another name for cannabis) and other drugs. He often described to me the feeling as if he was on cloud nine. The substance provided him with an escape from his misery. I think he used weed to fill the void left by his parents’ absence,” says Pokharel .

“I think the fact that marijuana is illegal in Nepal is what attracts more people to it. People who have tried it say it is the best feeling ever,” says Shristi Niroula, an undergraduate Chemistry student based in Kathmandu. “After drinking alcohol, the introverted people I know open up. A cigarette break is an effective socialisation technique that has helped my shy friends tremendously. I haven’t been peer-pressured yet, but I might try it once to escape the daily conundrum.”

Priya Aslami, 21, from Butwal, mirrors Niroula’s sentiments. She says that she started smoking because her friends asked her to. Aslami describes the first time she smoked a joint as feeling out of this world. Aslami believes that young people like her might have a lot of stress that people do not anticipate. “Many of us are uncertain about their future. There are bad relationships and family problems. But the most common stress is career and life goals,” Aslami adds.

The way out

“For me, substances were my coping mechanism. They helped me get out of my head because my heart and mind were always in conflict. When I did not get the love I craved, I went for the three seconds of nothingness– the illusion of a warm hug,” says Chakraborty.

Adhikari says that someone’s mental health issues have bio-psycho-social causes. It is influenced by genetics and heredity. One is influenced by their social strata, caste, financial status, and academic background. The way you cope is the psychological facet.

Tara Upreti, 21, also has bad days like many of her peers. She is an aspiring make-up artist and studies mass communication. Instead of succumbing to the illusions and arbitrariness caused by substances, she thinks it’s important to find other positive ways to cope. “I also have an existential crisis on random days. I don’t understand the purpose of doing anything, but I have stopped myself from trying substances,” Upreti says.

“The pattern of any addiction is one of immediate reward or pleasure. You want that instant gratification and dopamine rush,” says Prakriti Koirala, who has a Master’s degree in clinical psychology. According to her, the trend of escapism through substances is widespread because other coping mechanisms require time and effort. “Reading, exercising and meditating, for example, increase dopamine levels. But youths are gravitating towards using weed or alcohol to escape their sadness than engage in these activities. It is necessary to comprehend why these patterns persist,” she says.

Some of the names have been changed to maintain the anonymity of the sources.