Drug addicts turn to painkillers amid Nasha Mukt crackdown in J&K
Authorities in Jammu & Kashmir report that drug users are shifting to pharmaceutical opioids like Tramadol amid a government crackdown on illicit narcotics. The investigation has led to thousands of arrests and the exposure of a network involving individuals who leveraged political connections.
Why it matters
It illustrates the 'balloon effect' in drug enforcement, where crackdowns on traditional narcotics lead to the abuse of easily accessible prescription medications.
SRINAGAR: Drug users and peddlers in Jammu & Kashmir are increasingly turning to pharmaceutical opioids, primarily painkillers, amid an intensified crackdown under Nasha Mukt Abhiyaan to make the UT “narcotics-free”.“It seems they were mixing several painkiller drugs to get the effect of heroin,” a police officer said, adding that abusers frequently use prescription medicines like Tramadol and Tapentadol, which they refer to as “Tapal“ in their local slang.Investigations have so far led to the recovery of 2,19,425 tablets and capsules of pharmaceutical drugs, as well as 3.830 kg of codeine-containing liquid, including the storage containers, police said.Since its launch on April 11, Nasha Mukt Abhiyaan has resulted in over 4,000 arrests, the seizure of 288 properties, and registration of 3,257 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
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