SHIMLA: Drug peddlers in Himachal seem to be using pyramid marketing and even sex opportunities to lure the state’s youth into narcotics. Former superintendent of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Chandigarh O P Sharma said that drug peddlers in Himachal Pradesh are operating in geometrical fashion to increase their consumer base.BJP Doon MLA Paramjit Singh Pammi also claimed that drug peddlers had launched a scheme that anyone bringing three youth would be provided one free dose of chitta. He said that youth already addict to chitta were being asked to bring their friends from good families. He claimed that there were five universities in his constituency where many boys and girls are addicted to chitta.Pammi said that on Sunday, a 22-years-old man committed suicide in Barotiwala area. “Youth had told his father that he wanted to give up chitta but could not and committed suicide,” he added.Himachal Pradesh DGP S R Mardi said that special drive had been launched to nab the drug peddlers involved in selling chitta and several arrests had been made across state. He, however, said that interrogation of peddlers arrested so far had not shown anything about giving free dose to lure new customers. He said that issue was raised in the assembly and thus police would look into this aspect.Sharma said, “Chitta is deadlier than heroin. Chitta has heroin, opium and acetic anhydride.”“As risk involved in the illicit trade is very high so peddlers are resorting to multiplier effect to increase their customer base through those addicted to chitta,” he added.He said that sex was another form of allurement to drag youngsters to chitta and many a times youngsters were not aware about substance being injected into their body. He said that consumption of chitta was killing youth and need was to have an autonomous body for drug control to work on mission mode to deal with the problem.Former DGP I D Bhandari said that situation had become alarming with young children falling prey to chitta or other form of synthetic drugs. He said that even young children studying in Class VII or VIII were sniffing pesticides and later they would be using chitta or cocaine. He said that survey needed to be done to know about the exact number of youth addicted to drugs.While replying to debate on drug addiction in the state assembly on August 30 during the recently concluded monsoon session, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur had said that some have become addict on seeing their friends taking drugs.He said that one gram chitta was being sold for Rs 6000 and its rate is increasing and a person takes it for 6-7 times then he becomes completely addicted to it.

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