With the police tightening the noose around bootleggers following the July Ahmedabad hooch tragedy, addiction to a different kind of drink — generally a cocktail of banned as well as prescribed drugs and toxic chemicals — is fast becoming a trend in the city.

In the last few days, the city has seen some deaths due to the consumption of “chemicals”. Considering this, the Ahmedabad police are now set to take up the matter with the Prohibition and Excise Department as well as the Foods and Drug Administration (FDA). They will ask the departments to maintain a strict vigil

at drug counters and industries to control the availability of these substances.

Mohan Jha, Joint Commissioner of Police, told Newsline on Thursday: “The chemical consumption that has started

recently needs to be stopped immediately. Even the banned drug consumption is happening secretively, as it’s easily available.”

He added: “We are therefore writing to the concerned departments to conduct checking in the industrial areas. We would also instruct the FDA to tighten the checking and stop the sale of such medicines immediately.”

According to health experts working in de-addiction programmes in Ahmedabad, addiction being a way of life in the poor neighbourhoods, some people use combination of certain Schedule ‘H’ drugs (banned medicines) and mix it with solvents for intoxication. They feel that after hooch, it is the addiction of banned as well as Rx drugs dominant among the poor families.

Dr Ankur Dave, Medical Officer, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel De-Addiction Hospital, said: “The most commonly used banned medicines are Lorazikafam, Lopez, Nitrozafam, Codine Phospate, Benzodizafine and Campose. For instance, Benzodizafine is available as Avil tables and mixing three four pills in water can result into a high intoxication. These medicines are easily available for Rs 3 or Rs 5.”

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