CHANDIGARH: North India's most prominent referral drug de-addiction centre at PGIMER has sounded a "red alert" after country's first illicit manufacturing drug unit of fentanyl - one of the most potent opioid prescription drugs - was busted recently at Indore The PGI doctors are worried that the bust would lead to a spike in addicts of this opioid painkiller at the centre.Fentanyl is an opioid pain reliever, mainly for cancer patients and is more than 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.The doctors are worried that there is a huge potential market for the fentanyl opioids is this region, particularly Punjab, as a large number of opioid-dependents and abusers in the state like to experiment with new opioid drugs. A 2016 study by AIIMS New Delhi had found that 0.84% of Punjab's population was opioid-dependent compared to 0.7% across the country."We have sounded a 'red alert' so that we are able to treat the patients timely. There are always footprints left where any drug is manufactured. There have been a couple of our patients who have started talking about this drug. So, we are on the lookout," said Prof D Basu, drug deaddiction and treatment centre, PGIMER. "The worry is that unless we are particular about it, it might become a menace very soon in the region just like in the US."Prescription drug fentanyl, which is mainly abused for its intense euphoric effects, can result in frequent overdoses that, in turn, can lead to respiratory depression and death, according to experts."As the drug is euphoric and we have many opioid dependents in Punjab, this new drug has all the possibility of being consumed here," cautioned Dr PD Garg, psychiatry department, Government Medical College, Amritsar The main prescription drugs used by addicts in Chandigarh and Punjab for many decades are buprenorphine (an opioid used to treat opioid addiction), morphine and fortwin. However, these drugs, except buprenorphine, are abused by the health workers, who have access to them. Buprenorphine is available over the counter too."As there is a clampdown in Punjab, the heroin users are getting displaced to Himachal Pradesh . This will make opioid users in Punjab take to new drugs like fentanyl," explained Dr Garg.

Stay updated with all the Amritsar Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.