Addiction on sale at med shops
Scheduled drugs that give a high and are very addictive are being sold without doctors’ prescription. Children buy these like they buy candies
By Yogesh Avasthi and Mehul Jani
Posted On Friday, November 20, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2009112020091120030658796736afe64) Pics - Kalpesh Bhatt
Your young son or daughter doesn’t need to search for drug peddlers or visit a squalid joint to get high. He/she can find his/her addiction at a medical store right in your neighbourhood.
A Mirror investigation has revealed that several drug stores in the city, particularly in eastern Ahmedabad, are brazenly selling prescription medicines over the counter to teenaged substance abusers.
What is more alarming is that the laxity shown by such stores is encouraging more youths to pop pills to get stoned. Mirror, in fact, came across two teens who started taking prescription drugs with their friends for fun, but have now developed a habit. The teens, Anil and Raju (name changed), demonstrated to us how easy it was to obtain schedule H drugs from pharmacies in Bapunagar and Odhav without producing a recommendation from a certified medical practitioner.
The medicines that they purchased from pharmacists in the aforementioned areas were mainly painkillers, muscle relaxants and sedatives such as diazepam, nitrazepam and alprazolam. Strips of all these medicines carry a warning that they cannot be sold over the counter. These drugs help people suffering from anxiety disorders stay calm. However, many young Amdavadis such as Anil and Raju down them to feel intoxicated.
Prolonged abuse of such pills can cause deleterious effects on a person’s health. For instance, they can critically weaken an addict’s memory by causing neurological damage. Sustained use of such medicines can also harm kidneys. Drug stores are aware of the dangers of such pills’ misuse, but they still sell them to youngsters without a prescription to make an extra buck: they usually overcharge habitual takers.
“I pay Rs 10-15 more than a medicine’s retail price,” 18-year-old Anil, an arts student, said. “I and my other friends never face any difficulty in purchasing schedule H drugs without prescription. There are so many medical stores in eastern Ahmedabad where we can obtain our monthly supplies.”
Raju, a college student who works part-time at Hira Udhyog in Bapunagar, said that he used sedatives such as diazepam to feel high. “It’s very effective and cheap. A bottle of liquor cost Rs 350, whereas a strip of diazepam costs only Rs 30-35. I lose a sense of surrounding by taking only a couple of pills,” he said.
Both the teens, who live in Naroda, said that they downed pills along with chocolates and tea to get a “bigger kick”. “We take such tablets in a group. The best part about being hooked on medicines is that no finds anything amiss. It’s less than obvious than boozing,” they said.
A doctor at Sterling Hospital, Tushar Patel, said that sustained use of sedatives and painkillers might seem harmless to young addicts, but it is detrimental to health. “People start off by taking only one tablet to feel high, but once they get habituated they increase the dosage. Prolonged use can result in memory loss and damage one’s kidneys,” he said.
A social worker who operates in eastern parts of the city, Ramesh Rawad, said that 70-80 per cent of pharmacies in the area were selling schedule H drugs over the counter. “Most buyers are college-going students, who want to look hip by drugging themselves,” he said.
When Mirror contacted the commissioner of food & drug authority (FDA), H G Koshia, he also expressed concerns over the trend among youngsters to resort to substance abuse. “It’s a very issue serious. Schedule H drugs cannot be sold without a prescription. If a pharmacist breaks this norm, its licence can be withdrawn,” Koshia said.
Officials warn pharmacies
Schedule H drugs cannot be sold without a prescription. If a pharmacy breaks this norm, its licence can be withdrawn – H G Koshia, FDA commissioner
MIRROR PROBE
Following reports that pharmacies in eastern parts of Ahmedabad were selling prescription medicines over the counter to young addicts, Mirror started an investigation to identify such stores in Odhav and Bapunagar. Two Mirror reporters, in fact, came across two teens into casual drug abuse. The teens — Raju and Anil, aged 17 and 18, then demonstrated how easy it was to buy schedule H drugs without producing a prescription. In all, they bought medicines from three stores.
Why teens pop pills
Young Amdavadis, eager to appear hip, find traditional stimulants such alcohol too expensive. They find pills of sedatives and muscle relaxants cheap and very effective in helping them get high. Moreover, downing pills doesn’t attract scrutiny by their parents.
By Yogesh Avasthi and Mehul Jani
Posted On Friday, November 20, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2009112020091120030658796736afe64) Pics - Kalpesh Bhatt
Your young son or daughter doesn’t need to search for drug peddlers or visit a squalid joint to get high. He/she can find his/her addiction at a medical store right in your neighbourhood. What is more alarming is that the laxity shown by such stores is encouraging more youths to pop pills to get stoned. Mirror, in fact, came across two teens who started taking prescription drugs with their friends for fun, but have now developed a habit. The teens, Anil and Raju (name changed), demonstrated to us how easy it was to obtain schedule H drugs from pharmacies in Bapunagar and Odhav without producing a recommendation from a certified medical practitioner.
The medicines that they purchased from pharmacists in the aforementioned areas were mainly painkillers, muscle relaxants and sedatives such as diazepam, nitrazepam and alprazolam. Strips of all these medicines carry a warning that they cannot be sold over the counter. These drugs help people suffering from anxiety disorders stay calm. However, many young Amdavadis such as Anil and Raju down them to feel intoxicated.
Prolonged abuse of such pills can cause deleterious effects on a person’s health. For instance, they can critically weaken an addict’s memory by causing neurological damage. Sustained use of such medicines can also harm kidneys. Drug stores are aware of the dangers of such pills’ misuse, but they still sell them to youngsters without a prescription to make an extra buck: they usually overcharge habitual takers.
“I pay Rs 10-15 more than a medicine’s retail price,” 18-year-old Anil, an arts student, said. “I and my other friends never face any difficulty in purchasing schedule H drugs without prescription. There are so many medical stores in eastern Ahmedabad where we can obtain our monthly supplies.”Both the teens, who live in Naroda, said that they downed pills along with chocolates and tea to get a “bigger kick”. “We take such tablets in a group. The best part about being hooked on medicines is that no finds anything amiss. It’s less than obvious than boozing,” they said.
A doctor at Sterling Hospital, Tushar Patel, said that sustained use of sedatives and painkillers might seem harmless to young addicts, but it is detrimental to health. “People start off by taking only one tablet to feel high, but once they get habituated they increase the dosage. Prolonged use can result in memory loss and damage one’s kidneys,” he said.
A social worker who operates in eastern parts of the city, Ramesh Rawad, said that 70-80 per cent of pharmacies in the area were selling schedule H drugs over the counter. “Most buyers are college-going students, who want to look hip by drugging themselves,” he said.
When Mirror contacted the commissioner of food & drug authority (FDA), H G Koshia, he also expressed concerns over the trend among youngsters to resort to substance abuse. “It’s a very issue serious. Schedule H drugs cannot be sold without a prescription. If a pharmacist breaks this norm, its licence can be withdrawn,” Koshia said.
Officials warn pharmacies
Schedule H drugs cannot be sold without a prescription. If a pharmacy breaks this norm, its licence can be withdrawn – H G Koshia, FDA commissioner
MIRROR PROBE
Following reports that pharmacies in eastern parts of Ahmedabad were selling prescription medicines over the counter to young addicts, Mirror started an investigation to identify such stores in Odhav and Bapunagar. Two Mirror reporters, in fact, came across two teens into casual drug abuse. The teens — Raju and Anil, aged 17 and 18, then demonstrated how easy it was to buy schedule H drugs without producing a prescription. In all, they bought medicines from three stores.
Why teens pop pills
Young Amdavadis, eager to appear hip, find traditional stimulants such alcohol too expensive. They find pills of sedatives and muscle relaxants cheap and very effective in helping them get high. Moreover, downing pills doesn’t attract scrutiny by their parents.
WHAT LEADS TO drug fixation
Medicines that teens buy to get high are mainly painkillers and sedatives such as diazepam, nitrazepam and alprazolam. These drugs help people suffering from anxiety disorders stay calm. However, youngsters down them to feel intoxicated. Prolonged abuse of such pills can cause deleterious effects on health. They can weaken an addict’s memory by causing neurological damage.
