E-Paper
5 recent drug overdose deaths put Tarn Taran cops in tight spot
As many as five deaths, including that of a 16-year-old boy, due to suspected drug overdose in less than three weeks in Tarn Taran district are seen as appeared to have belied the claim of Punjab Police’s crackdown against drug menace.
As many as five deaths, including that of a 16-year-old boy, due to suspected drug overdose in less than three weeks in Tarn Taran district are seen as appeared to have belied the claim of Punjab Police’s crackdown against drug menace. The family members of the deceased have already raised question markes over the “easy availability” of drugs in their respective areas.
Police, however, say that as they have “come down heavily on smugglers to break the supply chain of drugs, usage of adulterated drugs is causing deaths mostly among the intravenous users”. On Tuesday, 30-year-old Bhupinder Singh alias Bhindu of Muse village was found dead in an abandoned building of the village. Bhupinder’s father Mohinder Singh said his son was a drug addict. “He went somewhere for taking drugs on Monday night, but didn’t return home. His body was found on Tuesday morning. I tried to save my son from drugs, but to no avail due to its easy availability in the village,” he said. The deceased was father of a six-month-old daughter.
Similarly, four more deaths were reported in Dhuna, Allowal, Kot Dharam Chand and Booh village on January 14, 17, 20 and 27 respectively. In Allowal village, 16-year-old Amanpreet Singh, who was the only son of his parents, died after injecting drugs. Police had later on, arrested two persons who had allegedly provided drugs to the teenager.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Tarn Taran, Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said they have the record of two deaths only. “One more death was reported, but the victim’s body was cremated without informing the police. Similarly, the Tuesday’s incident is yet to come into my knowledge,” he said.
“We are registering cases under Section 304 (culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused suppliers in such cases. We have zero tolerance against drugs and strict action is being taken against all involved in drug smuggling. We have also intensified our vigil along the border to stop the drone activities involved in drug smuggling,” he said. A senior police official, who wished not to be named, said, “We have also found that some small drug smugglers increase the quantity of heroin by mixing it with some additives for petty gain. The mix-up heroin is dangerous and causes deaths when it is injected.”
Meanwhile, a psychiatrist working as a medical officer in a government-run de-addiction center, said, “It is a tip of the iceberg. The deaths are more than double which are being reported. Many families are not reporting the drug overdose deaths fearing public stigma.”
He said, “We are seeing multiple reasons behind such deaths. Firstly, the available of spurious heroin. In some cases, drug smugglers are mixing Fentanyl drug (A highly potent synthetic opioid used as an analgesic. Together with other drugs, fentanyl is used for anesthesia) after increasing the quantity of heroin to increase its effect. Fentanyl is very lethal even in miligram quantity. More opioid additives are also being used by smugglers to increase the quantity of heroin to gain profit. When these additives mixed heroin is injected, it causes immediate deaths in some cases”
Secondly, sometimes, drug addicts, who have started their treatment, start taking drugs again. Such patients take drugs in that quantity which they used to take before their treatment’s start. In such cases also, death can be caused.” He said through patients, they have been getting reports that the drugs can be purchased anywhere. “The government should take the situation very seriously and a solution should be found to stop such deaths in the future,” he said.
