National   

Abuse of pharmaceutical products on the rise in South Asia

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 3. India is a major legal manufacturer of precursor chemicals and despite significant controls in South Asia, substances are diverted for use in illicit drug manufacture, both within and outside the region.

South Asia is facing increasing abuse of pharmaceutical products containing controlled narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. There is also a significant shift towards drug abuse by injection. Heroin, pethedine, diazepam, morphine, pentazocine are some of the commonly injected drugs, says the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) report for 2003 released today.

The report says that drug-trafficking routes have not changed significantly. Heroin from Afghanistan or Pakistan enters India, mostly for transit, from the North-West; and heroin from Myanmar passes through the North-Eastern States and Bangladesh. Considering the recent bumper crops of opium poppy in Afghanistan, Indian authorities fear a sharp increase in the smuggling of narcotic drugs.

South Asian governments assume that drug trafficking is one of the major sources of funds for terrorist groups. Terrorism along national borders, a serious issue in the region, has seen insurgent groups relying on trafficking in narcotic drugs as a prime source of finances used to procure arms.

The INCB report says that India is a traditional producer of opium for medical and scientific purposes; the opium poppy is grown in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh under a stringent licensing policy. Although an elaborate system of regulatory and preventive controls has been established in the country, diversion of opium to illicit channels still occurs in India.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• India, Brazil, South Africa to focus on defence cooperation
• Shun `vote bank peddlers,' Advani tells Muslims
• SP rules out alliance with Congress
• Congress, BJP raking Ayodhya issue for political gains: AIMPLB
• Advani yatra to counter Congress campaign: Sonia
• Choose BJP or Congress, Advani tells Haryana voters
• Fernandes meets PM on JD(U)-BJP seat-sharing
• Congress is like the British: Advani
• Congress ridicules Advani's yatra
• Poonam Dhillon joins BJP
• Mamata denies renomination to Sudip Bandopadhyay
• Many taking advantage of dynasty, says Najma
• Manipur CM's ancestral house attacked
• Advani frustrated, says Chautala
• EDUSAT launch by mid-year
• `IT sector overrated'
• Pakistani poets denied visa
• NC protests violation of model code
• `Ram temple still on BJP agenda'
• TV channels want ban on political advertisements to go
• Army's recruitment drive gets good response
• Swamy disputes Congress claim
• Abuse of pharmaceutical products on the rise in South Asia
• It's nestling time again for Olive Ridleys
• NGOs launch movement to educate voters
• Parrikar moves to control the damage
• Rajasthan urged to appeal against acquittals in Sati case
• Meet to commemorate International Year of Rice
• Circular train to connect southern States
• Former Orissa Minister joins Congress
• Narmada Authority meet put off
• Chamling condemns ransacking of Congress office
• BJP to support Sangma in Tura seat
• Puran Singh undergoes lie-detector test
• Sharada Prasad conferred D. Litt.

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu