Sir: As we know, drug addiction is one of the biggest social and moral problems of any society. Drug abuse can affect each and every one of us, directly or indirectly. People with low self-concept, who feel bad about themselves, are susceptible to use drugs. Moreover, drug addiction is now becoming common in youngsters and is destroying them, their families and their countries. Drugs are cheaper than food in our country. The initial use of drugs for enjoyment and fun among youth can become an addiction for them in no time. Parents have no check on their children and government has no control in the easy supply of these deadly things. In Pakistan, where almost 60% of the population consists of youth this is a serious issue. According to a recent report, there are more than 8.9 million drug addicts in Pakistan and majority of them are young girls and boys. As John F. Kennedy said that “The future promise of any nation can be directly measured by the present prospect of its youth.” The present situation of our youth is going from bad to worse, and this is alarming. I would like to draw the attention of concerned authorities towards this problem. Banning must go hand in hand with awareness to campaigns to effectively tackle this issue. RIDA FATIMA Karachi