Srinagar, July 14 -- When a young person falls into addiction, society rarely asks what happened before the first dose. We are quick to condemn, quicker to label, and quickest to distance ourselves. Addiction is often explained as the consequence of poor choices, weak character, or moral failure. While individual responsibility cannot be ignored, reducing addiction to a personal weakness oversimplifies a problem deeply rooted in society. If addiction were merely about individual choice, awareness campaigns and punishments alone would have solved it. Yet the problem continues to grow.

I believe the real question is not why people become addicted? But what kind of society creates conditions where addiction becomes an escape?

As human bein...