New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stressed on the need to protect the youth from drug addiction and said a strong family support system is needed to combat the vice.

“For building a substance-free India, it is imperative for families to be strong as an institution,” he said in a video address to the ‘Ashwamedha Yagya’ event organised by the ‘Gayatri Parivar’.

When family members do not meet or sit together for days, then dangers rise and, therefore, families have to be strong to make the country drug-free, the prime minister said.

The ‘Ashwamedha Yagya’ has become a grand social campaign, he said, highlighting its role in steering millions of youths away from addiction and towards nation-building activities.

Drug addiction is such a vice that can destroy lives, causing great harm to society and the country, he said.

Youths are the future of the nation and play a pivotal role in shaping India’s destiny, and contribute to its development, he said.

Prime Minister Modi said he had some dilemma in associating with an event named ‘Ashwamedha Yagya’ as the phrase in popular imagination is linked to an expansion of power. Elections are also approaching, he added.

However, this exercise has a noble purpose, he said, praising the ‘Gayatri Parivar’ for its work and teachings.

In his comments, Modi emphasised the need to protect the youth from the grip of addiction and provide support to those already affected.

“Addiction wreaks havoc on individuals and societies, causing immense damage,” he said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to the nationwide initiative for a drug-free India that has engaged with more than 11 crore people since its launch.

He highlighted the extensive outreach efforts including bike rallies, oath-taking ceremonies and street plays conducted in collaboration with social and religious organisations.

The integration of the youth with larger national and global initiatives will help them keep away from any addiction, the prime minister said, noting their important role in achieving the goals of a developed and self-reliant India.

In national and global campaigns, the more the youth is involved, the more they will stay away from the wrong path, he said.

Speaking on the government’s focus on sports and science, Modi said the success of the Chandrayaan mission has sparked a new interest for technology, asserting that such events have a transformative impact in channelling the energy of the youth in the right direction.

He said initiatives like the Fit India Movement and the Khelo India will motivate the youth and “a motivated youth cannot turn towards substance abuse”.

Referring to the new organisation ‘Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat)’, the prime minister said more than 1.5 crore youths have already registered with the portal giving a push to the right use of youth power for nation building.

He noted that during the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ (consecration ceremony) at the Ram temple, he had spoken of the beginning of the new journey of a thousand years for India.

“In this Amrit Kaal, we are witnessing the dawn of this new era,” Prime Minister Modi said, expressing optimism about India’s journey towards becoming a global leader with individual development shaping the national development.