Try GOLD - Free
Kerala de-addiction centres see massive influx
The Morning Standard
|March 23, 2025
Operation D-Hunt: 7,307 arrested in 1 month

VINEETHA, resident of Kurudimukku near Koyilandy, had never imagined a day when she would send her son away to a de-addiction centre. Her voice trembles as she recounts the heartache, watching her 21-year-old son, "once a bright and loving boy," fall into the clutches of addiction.
"We pleaded with him, tried everything, but when he started threatening to kill me, my elderly mother and even his sister's family, I knew it was life or death," she says, holding back tears. "I had no choice but to call the de-addiction centre."
Vineetha's grief echoes across Kerala. Parents, overwhelmed by fear and desperation, are turning to rehabilitation centres in huge numbers as drug abuse, especially of synthetic substances, spirals out of control among youth.
This story is from the March 23, 2025 edition of The Morning Standard.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Morning Standard
The Morning Standard
Israeli bombardment intensifies: 14 dead in Gaza
ISRAELI strikes killed at least 14 people overnight in Gaza City, health officials said, as Israel ramps up its offensive there and urges Palestinians to leave.
1 mins
September 21, 2025
The Morning Standard
Bomb threat mails send over 100 city schools into a tizzy
MORE than 100 schools in the capital received bomb threat emails on Saturday morning which turned out to be hoaxes after police conducted a thorough search of the premises, officials said. The subject of the e-mail mentioned \"Bombs Placed in Your Building - React or Face the Disaster\".
1 min
September 21, 2025
The Morning Standard
I don't want you!
Stunned techies scramble to US, scrap fly-out plan
1 min
September 21, 2025

The Morning Standard
MODI @ 75: ARCHITECT OF AMBITION
IN the sprawling scroll of India’s story, few figures have fused longevity with luminosity, persistence with power, endurance with epochal impact quite like Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
4 mins
September 21, 2025

The Morning Standard
Till the Cows Come Home
A centuries-old alpine celebration of cattle herding is one of Europe’s most charming festivals that celebrtes the bond between animals, people and the land
3 mins
September 21, 2025

The Morning Standard
'CORECT' BOND: SHIELD AGAINST CALAMITY
INDIA stands at a critical juncture in its approach to managing natural disasters.
4 mins
September 21, 2025
The Morning Standard
Huge rate cuts on stadium booking to boost concerts, live events in city
AFTER losing out major concerts and cultural shows to cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Gurugram for years, largely due to steep stadium-booking charges, the Delhi government on Saturday announced a substantial cut in venue rates, a move officials and industry leaders hailed as “historic.”
1 min
September 21, 2025
The Morning Standard
Guardians of the Ecological Cycle
The sun was slipping down the horizon when a pair of big ears, winglike, appeared on the crest of the hill.
2 mins
September 21, 2025

The Morning Standard
Trump says US sinks 3rd drug-smuggling boat this month
DONALD Trump said on Friday the US military has carried out its third fatal strike against an alleged drug smuggling vessel this month.
1 mins
September 21, 2025
The Morning Standard
Tejashwi raises Bihar pitch, says won't contest polls without a CM face
RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Saturday said the Grand Alliance (GA) will not contest Bihar Assembly elections without a CM face, mounting pressure on the partners.
1 min
September 21, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size