![\"Youth](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-132815933,imgsize-1001802,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/pm-modi-during-his-address.jpg\" "\\"PM")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNEW DELHI: Drugs can give a momentary high but family and professional lives will hit a low, PM Modi told youth in a warning against substance abuse on Sunday, and exhorted families not to hide any addiction in the name of social prestige but reach out to experts and cultivate a culture of frank communication with kids.Launching \u2018Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan\u2019 (campaign for drug-free youth for developed India), Modi called for rejecting stigma on the issue. \u201cYouth who come out fighting addiction are not weak; they are real warriors,\u201d he said. Give drug survivors a second chance, respect them: PM Modi<\/span>PM Modi said society should instead respect those who overcome their drug addiction. \u201cThey are real warriors whose incredible courage is their true identity,\u201d he said in a virtual address, with a host of chief ministers, governors, spiritual figures and a large number of youngsters joining the event from across the country.As the nation has set the goal of \u2018Viksit Bharat\u2019, it is imperative that the country\u2019s youth remain physically and mentally fit, steering clear of destructive habits like drugs, he said, stressing the importance of support system offered by the society besides the help from yoga and meditation.He said, \u201cEven if a youth has mistakenly fallen into the trap of addiction, it absolutely does not mean that all doors are closed for them.\u201d Society should respect them, embrace them and give them a second chance, he said.Substance abuse has long been a serious concern in parts of the north-east and Punjab, where it has become a major plank for all political parties in the run-up to elections early next year.<\/p>\n Share your thoughts in the comments<\/p>\n<\/div>\n