Himachal: Rising drug menace a concern in hill state

  • | Thursday | 12th July, 2018

State police this year till May 31 have seized 229 kgs Charas, 4 kgs Opium and 263 kgs Poppy Husk beside other licit drugs across state. Senior BJP leader and two times former chief minister of state, Shanta Kumar said that state government should chalk out a strategy to deal with the challenge. SHIMLA: After Punjab now it is “Udta Himachal” with youngsters including school and college going students falling prey to Chitta or heroin , Charas and Opium besides other illicit drugs. He said that heroin or chitta is easily available in all the districts of state. He said that three State Narcotics Crime Control Units at Shimla, Kangra and Kullu had been set up to deal with drug mafia.“Increasing trend of drug usage among youngsters in Himachal Pradesh is an alarming trend as even the villages are getting affected by this.

SHIMLA: After Punjab now it is “Udta Himachal” with youngsters including school and college going students falling prey to Chitta or heroin , Charas and Opium besides other illicit drugs. State police this year till May 31 have seized 229 kgs Charas, 4 kgs Opium and 263 kgs Poppy Husk beside other licit drugs across state. Senior BJP leader and two times former chief minister of state, Shanta Kumar said that state government should chalk out a strategy to deal with the challenge. He said that Yoga and Moral education should be made compulsory in all schools to keep the youngsters away from drugs.Sources said that youngsters are not only becoming addicted to cigarettes, gutka, khaini and alcohol but they are also falling prey to capsules, cough syrups, shoe polish, balm, white fluid beside charas, smack, heroin and opium.Earlier in May this year, a 17-year-old youth from Dangoli village of Una district had died due to overdose of Chitta. This was not the first time when someone had died of drug overdose in the district as before this similar incidents were reported from Haroli area. Not only Una district, but other areas of Himachal Pradesh bordering Punjab are grappling with similar problem.In June this year, a group of youngsters including some girls were taking drugs at Bandrol area of Kullu district. Seeing them taking injections some local people questioned them. While two boys and a girl managed to flee, a girl was caught by locals.These incidents are just the tip of an ice berg to the problem that has left the government worried. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on June 27 had said that drugs abuse was a social vice which needs to be curbed with people's participation as there was no place for it in 'Dev Bhoomi' Himachal. He had also said that it was unfortunate that about 27 per cent youth in the state were involved in drug abuse.Jai Ram Thakur said that a special Task Force has been constituted in the Police Department to effectively implement the campaign against drug peddlers. He said that three State Narcotics Crime Control Units at Shimla, Kangra and Kullu had been set up to deal with drug mafia.“Increasing trend of drug usage among youngsters in Himachal Pradesh is an alarming trend as even the villages are getting affected by this. State government with the suggestion of opposition devise a strategy to fight this menace at the earliest,” Shanta Kumar said.Former Superintendent of Narcotics Control Bureau, Chandigarh, O P Sharma said that stricter measures needs to be taken to fight drug mafia. He said that heroin or chitta is easily available in all the districts of state. He said there is need for the effective monitoring of routes from where drugs are flowing into the state.Former DGP, Himachal Pradesh, I D Bhandari said that gravity of problem could be gauged from the fact even young children studying in 7th or 8th class are sniffing pesticides and later they would be using Chitta or Cocaine. He said that to fight this problem, government will have to ensure the involvement of society.“At present there is no survey available at government level to know how much percentage of youth is addicted to drugs. Enforcement only would not work otherwise situation will become out of control in next five-six years,” he added.

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