An anti-drug awareness campaign was held at Agape Higher Secondary School in Kiphire, Nagaland, on Monday, 24 August 2026, drawing participation from nearly 180 students. The event was organised by Akehda Amulung, a non-governmental organisation functioning as an implementing support agency for the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, and received backing from a unit of the Army's Spear Corps.

Why Nagaland Is a Frontline State

Nagaland shares a 215-km porous, largely unfenced border with Myanmar and sits close to the Golden Triangle — the world's largest opium-producing region, spanning parts of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. Traffickers exploit ethnic linkages and the open terrain to move narcotics into the Northeast. The situation worsened after Myanmar's 2021 military coup, which turned the country into a primary source of heroin and methamphetamine, leaving states such as Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur acutely exposed.

Scale of the Drug Crisis

Official estimates put the number of drug addicts in Nagaland at roughly 1.2 lakh, but experts believe the actual figure may have crossed 2.5 lakh. A growing concern is the shift from traditional narcotics to synthetic drugs. Even accepting the conservative official figure, the consumption volumes are staggering: a senior police official noted recently that if half of the 1.2 lakh addicts consume heroin or brown sugar — locally known as Shan Flower — at an estimated 0.5 grams per person per day, the state could be absorbing close to 30 kg per day, or roughly 10,000 kg annually. Beyond the narcotics crisis itself, the widespread use of unsterilised syringes has fuelled the spread of Hepatitis B and HIV among addicts, placing a significant burden on the state's public health infrastructure.

The Drug-Militancy Nexus

Security agencies have established a clear link between the narcotics trade and militant outfits that maintain camps across the border. These groups reportedly fund their operations through drug trafficking, making the drug menace inseparable from the region's broader insurgency challenge. 'The menace will have to be curbed to bring about prolonged peace in the region. Insurgency will stop once the outfits are starved of funds. We have already cracked down on extortion and abduction. Now, all agencies will have to come together to stop the trafficking of narcotics,' an official said.

What the Campaign Involved

Students at the Kiphire school participated in drug-awareness competitions and an audio-visual presentation on the harmful effects of substance abuse. 'Promoting youth awareness and collective responsibility towards a drug-free society, a formation under Spear Corps supported the District-Level Drug-Free Campaign organised by Akehda Amulung under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan at Agape Higher Secondary School, Kiphire, Nagaland. Around 180 students participated in various drug-awareness competitions, while an informative audio-visual presentation highlighted the harmful effects of drug abuse and the importance of a healthy, drug-free lifestyle,' the Spear Corps posted on X.

Community and Institutional Response

The church and women's groups — both of which carry considerable influence over Nagaland's youth — have been active participants in the broader campaign against drugs. Experts note that conditions have improved since the 1980s and 1990s, aided by greater institutional intervention and a growing cohort of young people leaving the state for higher education or employment. However, they caution that much more remains to be done, and that educational institutions must serve as the primary arena for sustained outreach.