Elite youths more addicted to drugs: Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, July 11: Despite extensive awareness campaign and legal restrictions, the number of drug addicted individuals and fresh users are not at all declining. Instead, the rate of drug use among the youths is quite alarming in Guwahati.

Talking to The Sentinel, expressing deep concern over the trend prevailing in Guwahati, an official of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Guwahati said, “Drugs like morphine, brown sugar and cocaine and so on are increasingly in high demand among the city youths who hail from elite families.”

Substantiating the average notion of society, the official added, “These varieties of drugs are imported primarily from Myanmar and are also used in parties and occasional gathering organized by elite families in the city.”

The source informed The Sentinel that earlier, one gram of brown sugar cost Rs 1,500 to 2,000. It is now available at Rs 800 to Rs 1,200. He indicated that the lowering on prices is to lure the users and attract more youths to the trap. Similarly, while 1 kg of heroin costs Rs 3.5 lakh, 1 mg costs Rs 400 in Guwahati.

According to the source, in 2016 the NCB seized 98.551 kg of opium, 12.203 kg of morphine, 2,100 kg of ganja and 14,316 bottles of CBES (codeine-based cough syrup). In 2017, the NCB seized 0.660 kg of opium, 5.990 kg of morphine, 0.148 kg of brown sugar, 3.494 kg heroin, 3158.06 kg ganja, 9170 tablets and 5.097 kg of ATS and 6643 CBES. In 2018, the NCB seized 3.989 kg opium, 0.875 kg morphine, 4.822 kg heroin, 492.22 kg ganja, 33.867 kg ATS and 1,200 bottles of CBES.