The medical report in the shocking death of a 20-year-old at the BITS Pilani campus last week has taken the discourse of student well-being in colleges to a different level and brought to the forefront the perilous confluence of academic pressure, mental health neglect, and accessibility to drugs at campuses. This tragic incident, the fifth in just nine months, highlights systemic flaws that threaten the safety and well-being of students, raising serious questions about the existing safeguards.
Medical reports have revealed a cocktail of substances in the student’s system—Zolpidem, methamphetamine, MDMA, amphetamine, and acetaminophen — indicating not just recreational drug use but a dangerous combination. Zolpidem, a prescription sleep aid, was found in his blood and stomach contents, suggesting misuse or overdose, while the presence of stimulants like methamphetamine and MDMA points to recreational consumption. The report shows that these substances, especially when combined, can cause gastritis, vomiting, and aspiration pneumonitis— conditions that eventually proved fatal for the student.
While the reasons that led to such consumption are yet to be identified, the presence of recreational drugs at campuses is a major reason for worry, not only for families of students, but for institutions as well. As mentioned in these columns earlier, the easy availability of drugs within campuses, against the backdrop of a drug culture that is taking deep roots in various pockets of the Goan landscape beyond the coastal belt, and a failure to install deterrents or checks, are points to ponder on.
While institutes too will have to grapple with a cocktail of issues — student access to drug distribution networks, susceptibility to peer pressure, academic balance, and mental health issues. A pressure situation creates a fertile ground for substance abuse. The fact that only acetaminophen was available over the counter, with the rest being classified as narcotics, reflects the ease with which drugs can be sourced.
However, the narrative of this tragedy has been rooted in failure because the police and the institute played it in their comfort zones. While police investigations ruled out foul play or involvement of narcotics, college officials declined to accept the theory of academic pressure and blamed it on the student’s health condition. The pattern of deaths — three suicides and two health-related incidents — coinciding with examination periods suggests that academic stress cannot be ruled out.
The drug issue and mental health crises are, to a great extent, intertwined. Using recreational drugs could mean relief from academic pressures, family expectations, or adapting to campus living. The accessibility of drugs, the influence of social media, and peer dynamics play their part.
Higher educational institutions must prioritise holistic student well-being. There is a need to create a supportive environment that recognises mental health struggles, curbs drug access, and fosters open dialogues around stress and substance abuse. Most of the institutes keep narcotic cases in campuses under wraps for fear of getting a bad name. The result: Deterrents are not set, and the cases remain unresolved.
While the privacy of students must be respected, institutes must enforce stringent disciplinary measures so that a healthy learning environment prevails. An overt focus on recreation on a campus is a telling sign that students are going astray. The deaths at BITS Pilani are not isolated incidents but symptomatic of deeper systemic issues. Addressing them requires a multi-faceted approach that includes offering round-the-year mental health services, tightening campus security and vigilance, and enforcing zero tolerance towards drug use. Institutions must accept shortcomings, install protocols, and ensure campuses are safe havens for learning.
