"Drug Use Is Not A Fuel For Creativity, Nobody Has Ever Created...": Prithviraj’s Stirring Anti-Drug Speech

Actor and director Prithviraj Sukumaran delivered a powerfully charged address at the Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology, Kakkanad, as part of the Anti-Drug Campaign, marking World Anti-Drug Day on June 26, 2025.

The program, titled “No Entry”, focused on substance abuse and its growing impact on youth, with Prithviraj delivering a candid reflection on the dark undercurrents of drug culture, especially in the entertainment industry. Addressing a packed auditorium, Prithviraj began his talk by warning the younger generation about the growing normalisation of drug use.

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Prithviraj warned students against thinking of the drug problem as something distant or unrelated to their lives. “Don’t assume that the issue is far away, on some film set or with celebrities. The danger is near your home, maybe even inside it. It’s not about the distance between your house and a cinema set. That danger could be closer to your child than that distance,” he said.

Prithviraj stressed that the fight against drugs requires intergenerational solidarity, where parents and children work together to define right from wrong. “Only a generation of parents and children who know what is right and what is wrong, and who are willing to hold hands, can end this problem,” he said.

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He emphasised that real creativity requires clarity and discipline, not intoxication. “There are directors who may drink socially, but when they start working on a film, they give it up completely. That tells you something — that art doesn’t need drugs. Incredible art has never come because of drugs.” “Drugs are not the Fuel for creativity. Nobody has ever created a masterpiece by using drugs,” he added.

He also pushed back against the romanticised image of alcoholism and substance use in creative spaces. Prithviraj urged the youth to shed the illusion that the threat of drugs exists only in urban nightlife or celebrity circles. While acknowledging that drug use has made headlines in cinema circles, he reminded the audience that the issue is society-wide, not just confined to stardom.

Addressing one of the most critical enablers of drug use among youth, Prithviraj opened up about how peer groups glorify substance use as a symbol of confidence and belonging. “Some peer groups make drug use seem like a badge of honour. Like you need to do it to fit in. But that group doesn’t deserve you,” he told the students. “There are far better things to be a part of.”

According to organisers, International Anti-Drug Day was marked with a series of activities across Kerala, including educational sessions in schools, awareness walks in public spaces, street plays, guest lectures, and creative campaigns led by student volunteers. The initiative aimed to spark meaningful conversations around substance abuse, mental health, peer pressure, and the value of self-discipline.