Drugs, Loan Apps, Digital Gambling: Triple Trap destroying the Students of Udupi, Mangaluru

  •   Fri, Sep 05 2025
  •   By Ankith S Kumar

September 5, 2025 

Our Beautiful Place

Udupi and Mangaluru, coastal towns known for their culture, education hubs, and vibrant student communities, are now facing a disturbing triple menace: drug abuse, fraudulent loan apps, and digital gambling addiction. These threats are silently corroding the health, finances, and futures of young people, leaving behind broken families and shattered dreams.

The Drug Menace on Campuses

In July 2025, police in Manipal arrested three people—including engineering students—for selling ganja and LSD to their peers. The accused had been supplying both students and laborers in the area, highlighting how drugs are no longer restricted to shady corners but have penetrated campuses themselves.

Earlier, Udupi police revealed that the district ranks third in Karnataka for drug-related cases. In response, they launched a special Anti-Drug Committee initiative in schools and colleges, where teachers, student leaders, and police officers work together to spread awareness and encourage confidential reporting

Drugs are often introduced as a way to “cope with stress,” “fit in socially,” or “have fun.” But what begins as curiosity can quickly spiral into dependency. The consequences are devastating—academic decline, strained family ties, health complications, and legal repercussions.

Numbers Don’t Lie

Drug abuse is no longer a distant urban issue—it is firmly rooted in coastal Karnataka.

  • Mangaluru accounted for nearly 30% of Karnataka’s drug cases in the first half of 2024, with 521 of 1,791 NDPS cases, surpassing even Bengaluru.
  • In 2023, Udupi reported 272 drug-related cases, while Mangaluru had 713, placing both districts among the top in the state.
  • To combat this, Udupi police have ordered quarterly random drug tests for 10% of students in every college.

Consequences of Drug Abuse

  • Health: Brain damage, depression, panic attacks, organ failure.
  • Academic: Falling grades, absenteeism, dropout risk.
  • Social: Strained family ties, community stigma.
  • Legal: Arrests under NDPS Act can destroy careers and overseas dreams.

The Stages of Falling into the Trap: The Drug Spiral

Stage 1: Curiosity & Peer Influence

  • A student is offered a cigarette, weed, or pill “just once” during a party or hostel gathering.
  • Peer pressure makes refusal hard—nobody wants to look “boring” or “old-fashioned.”

Stage 2: Occasional Use

  • It starts on weekends or at late-night get-togethers.
  • Students feel more relaxed, confident, or stress-free.

Stage 3: Dependence

  • What was occasional now becomes routine before exams, parties, or even daily use.
  • Money is spent secretly, grades start dropping, and behavior changes.

Stage 4: Addiction & Consequences

  • Health collapses: anxiety, depression, organ damage.
  • Family finds out after legal trouble or hospitalization.
  • Arrests under NDPS Act mean careers and visas are destroyed.

The Loan App Trap: A Digital Predator

Alongside drugs, another menace lurks in the digital space: illegal loan apps. Many students, eager for quick cash to fund lifestyles or emergencies, fall prey to shady apps that promise instant money.

These apps often come with sky-high interest rates and ruthless recovery tactics. There have been cases where borrowers were humiliated, blackmailed with doctored photos, or pushed to the brink of suicide due to harassment by recovery agents. In Udupi, such incidents have shaken families, showing that digital addiction and financial traps can be as deadly as drugs.

While drugs threaten bodies, illegal loan apps are preying on students’ minds and finances.

In August 2023, Udupi saw a tragedy when a 49-year-old man died by suicide after harassment from loan app agents.

Across India, Google removed over 2,200 fraudulent loan apps in a single year, but many still slip through. Surveys show 58% of users faced interest rates above 25%, and 54% reported harassment or data misuse.

How Loan Apps Trap Students

  1. Easy Entry: Instant approval, no checks.
  2. Hidden Permissions: Apps steal contacts, photos, SMS.
  3. Debt Spiral: Borrow Rs 3,000, repay Rs 3,600 in 7 days; leads to borrowing more.
  4. Harassment: Threats, morphed photos, calls to professors/family.
  5. Breakdown: Stress, depression, suicide risks.

The Loan App Trap

Stage 1: Temptation of Easy Money

  • Students see ads: “Get Rs 5,000 in 5 minutes, no documents required.”
  • Perfect for someone needing money for gadgets, outings, or even gambling.

Stage 2: Small Loan, Big Hooks

  • Borrow Rs 2,000. Within 7 days, repayment is Rs 2,600.
  • Apps secretly access phone contacts and photos.

Stage 3: The Debt Spiral

  • Student cannot repay on time. App starts harassment calls.
  • Out of fear, student borrows from another app to repay the first.

Stage 4: Harassment & Collapse

  • Agents send morphed photos to family, professors, or friends.
  • Shame, fear, and endless debts push students to anxiety—or even suicide.

Digital Gambling: The Invisible Addiction

If drugs ruin health and loan apps drain wallets, digital gambling destroys both together. Online rummy, poker, fantasy leagues, and cricket betting have quietly gripped the student population.

  • India has 420 million online gamers, with Karnataka among the top contributors.
  • According to NCRB data, gambling-related suicides have been steadily rising. Between 2023 and mid-2025, Karnataka reported 32 suicides linked to gaming and digital debt, many of them among youth.
  • Many online betting apps are illegal, yet they lure students with “free entry” schemes, cashback, and influencer promotions.

Why Students Fall into the Trap

  • Peer Influence: Betting during IPL or cricket tournaments feels “fun.”
  • Illusion of Easy Money: Small winnings encourage bigger risks.
  • Debt + Gambling Cycle: Students borrow from loan apps to repay gambling losses—doubling the danger.
  • 24/7 Access: Mobile apps ensure gambling is just one click away.

The Digital Gambling Trap

Stage 1: The “Fun” Beginning

  • Friends start betting small amounts during IPL matches or on fantasy apps.
  • First win feels thrilling—“easy money” seems real.

 

Stage 2: Small Wins, Bigger Bets

  • Student begins gambling secretly on apps late at night.
  • A win of Rs 500 motivates risking Rs 2,000.

Stage 3: Losses & Chasing Money

  • Losses pile up. To recover, students borrow from friends—or take loan apps.
  • Studies, sleep, and relationships begin to suffer.

Stage 4: Addiction & Ruin

  • Student loses track of money, pawns valuables, or even steals.
  • Depression, aggression, and police cases follow.
  • In some cases, suicides are reported due to gambling debt.

Fact: India has over 420 million online gamers. In Karnataka, between 2023 and mid-2025, 32 suicides were directly linked to online gambling debt.

Consequences of Gambling Addiction

  • Financial Ruin: Students lose savings, stipends, and even family money.
  • Academic Decline: Skipping classes, sleepless nights, and concentration loss.
  • Mental Health: Anxiety, aggression, withdrawal, suicidal tendencies.
  • Criminal Risk: Illegal betting can bring police cases, fines, or arrests.

Why Students Are Vulnerable

  • Peer Pressure: To appear “cool” or fit in.
  • Stress & Escapism: Coping mechanism for academic or emotional stress.
  • Easy Access: Dealers, apps, and websites within reach.
  • Ignorance: Lack of awareness about risks and laws.

The Human Cost: Beyond Numbers

  • Youth aged 15–24 account for 35% of all suicides in India.
  • Female youth suicide rates in coastal Karnataka are among the highest in the country.
  • Rising drug busts, loan app harassment, and gambling suicides show the triple crisis students face.

A Way Forward: Prevention and Protection

For Parents

  • Talk About It: Discuss drugs, gambling, and loan apps openly.
  • Observe Patterns: Sudden money issues, secrecy, or new peer groups.
  • Guide With Empathy: Support with counseling, not punishment.
  • Be Aware: Learn how online scams and apps work.

For Students

  • Say No Early: Don’t give in “just to try once.”
  • Avoid Easy Money Traps: Both gambling and loan apps promise quick fixes that ruin lives.
  • Seek Help: Counselors, mentors, or helplines when stressed.
  • Report Threats: Use cybercrime helpline 1930 for scams; police/college committees for drugs.

Conclusion: Protecting the Future

Udupi and Mangaluru stand at a crossroads. On one side are opportunities for world-class education and bright futures; on the other lurk the dangers of drugs, fraudulent loan apps, and addictions that rob students of their potential.

Parents, educators, and students must work hand in hand—not just to fight these menaces but to build a culture of awareness, trust, and resilience. The choice is clear: silence allows the menace to grow, while vigilance ensures that the youth of our coastal towns thrive.

Drugs, loan apps, and digital gambling are not just “bad habits.” They are well-laid traps designed to hook vulnerable youth. The stages may look harmless at first—just one puff, one loan, one bet—but they quickly snowball into health crises, debt, police cases, and even death.

The Manipal drug busts, the Udupi loan app suicide, and the gambling-related deaths in Karnataka are all red alerts. The fight needs parents, teachers, students, and society working together. Because the youth of Udupi and Mangaluru deserve to chase dreams, not addictions.

 

 
By Ankith S Kumar
Ankith S Kumar is a counsellor at Abhyuday- Department of Counselling, Welfare, Training & Placement, NMAM Institute of Technology, Nitte (DU) Off-Campus Centre, Nitte, Udupi District.
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Comment on this article

  • Rohan, Mangalore

    Fri, Sep 05 2025

    Great article Ankith sir very informative very well researched all the information, I will add with these even alcoholism and public culture is heading the youth of today


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Title: Drugs, Loan Apps, Digital Gambling: Triple Trap destroying the Students of Udupi, Mangaluru



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