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That dangerous high
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The Rahul Mahajan incident has brought to light the easy availability and abuse of narcotics in India's big cities. Bangalore is no exception, reports ANAND SANKAR
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PHOTO: BHAGYA PRAKASH K.
DEADLY COCKTAILSRave parties taking place on the outskirts of the city are notorious for the availability and use of drugs
John (name changed) makes me take almost an oath of secrecy and refuses to meet me personally, preferring instead to speak over the phone. This is no undercover sting operation. John is a 20-something, up-and-coming event manager. He is in love with his job as it mainly involves organising parties in our hip and happenin' city. Not surprisingly, John shows me the other side of the city's nightlife. With the Rahul Mahajan saga dominating the media, it has brought to light the easy availability and abuse of narcotics in India's big cities. And Bangalore is no different.
"Drugs to most people means smoking some weed, but that is almost like buying a smoke nowadays. In fact, some panwallahs even sell it," introduces John. Cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD and heroin, all names familiar to us what with the occasional scandal (and the often sanctimonious reportage) from the fashion world, Hollywood and Bollywood, but today they are essentials in the city's party scene.
"Earlier it used to be very easy in Bangalore. There used to be pub which used to be famous just for dope. It still exists, but nowadays it makes no sense to sell it at the pubs, but it is still available in small quantities. It's the cops who are messing it up — not by raiding, but with the early closing hours. Who the **** wants to get high at 10 and go home by 11? And do what, sleep?"
According to John, all the action happens today well outside the city and away from prying eyes. His task is simple. When a group contacts him to organise a get-together, his first scours the outskirts for a farmhouse. Mysore Road is favoured because of easy accessibility. But Devanahalli, Doddaballapur Road, Magadi Road and Tumkur Road are also fine. Once the house has been rented, the preparations begin. Everything, from DJs to professional sound systems, is arranged on request. Alcohol is a basic necessity. Then come the "amplifiers", as John calls them.
"The first thing that I am asked for is weed. It is like a starter. Another thing most asked for is Ecstasy. It is not very expensive and gives an instant high. Most of the young crowd wants it. They are not regular users, you see. They just want to have fun for a night. The people who ask for coke and heroin are very rare. It is very expensive and for a group it works out to a huge sum of money. Also there is a problem in ferrying large quantities of those substances."
Earlier to buy drugs, one had to turn up in specific spots such as City Market, J.J. Nagar and Goripalya. But this is the age of mobile phones and "free home delivery". While the bill for the party is settled later on, the cash for the dope must be coughed up in advance for John to make the "arrangements". "There is a network of couriers who work with the suppliers in the city. I have to first send an SMS with to a number and then I will get a call back. Once I tell them of the requirements, it is delivered to the place, and to the clients. My job is to just hand over the money to the guy who comes to pick it up from me."
John says that he never "touches" the goods with his hands "ever" because it is "too risky". As he works freelance without the knowledge of his company, any mishap could ruin his career and the reputation of the company. "I just hand over the money. The stuff is delivered to the party. I never even see it and unless it is a big client's party, I don't even go to the venue. I just make the calls and everything is done."
From what he has seen, the new trend, he says, are drug cocktails. They are basically a mixture of narcotics with pharmaceutical sedatives. It is said to suit the budget of the hip crowd and gives a much better high. Another new demand is for Viagra. Ecstasy, the most popular party drug, has a side effect — impotence. And Viagra is liberally popped to overcome that, says John.
Cult figures
Many rock stars are known as much for drug use as they are for their music. But the ultimate cult icon for drug users is Jimi Hendrix. He is widely known for and associated with the use of hallucinogenic drugs, especially LSD. It is believed the use of LSD was an integral part of his creative process. Various forms of speed and sleeping pills fuelled his "stop and go" lifestyle throughout his career, and pictures of Hendrix smoking marijuana are popular.
It is not just musicians who have used narcotics. Richard Feynman, one of the most influential American physicists of the 20th Century and a Nobel laureate, admitted to using cannabis and ketamine as a way of studying consciousness.
The oficial line
In September 2005 Steve alias Rocks, a Nigerian was arrested in the city with cocaine. When the police questioned him, he revealed that he got the narcotic from Goa. He is now out of jail, after he was granted bail by the High Court.
The possession of even one gram of cocaine is an offence that invites arrest and requires bail. Two grams can attract a prison term of 10 years rigorous imprisonment and possession of more than 500 gm is classified as for commercial purposes and a similar penalty. There is also a Rs. 1 lakh fine and sometimes a sentence of 20 years and a Rs. 2 lakh-fine are awarded.
Police officials claim after the bust of the Nigerian, cocaine supply in the city has decreased. But they admit it is a "very big racket". Cocaine comes to the city from Goa, Chennai and Mumbai, and police say the recent record haul of cocaine in Mumbai is proof of that. The Narcotics Bureau once seized about six to seven kilos of heroin in the city.
Cocaine abuse is still restricted to high society because of its high cost but consumption of Ecstasy is on the rise. Ganja, police admit, is now freely available in the city and it comes from ganja belts in Tamil Nadu. But there is no incident of ganja cultivation in the city, they say. Heroin is another narcotic that is available in the city but it is often adulterated.
Drugs in vogue today
Cocaine is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant, creating what has been described as a euphoric sense of happiness and increased energy. It is eaten, smoked, injected or snorted. Street price Rs. 4,000 to 5,000 per gram, which makes it the most expensive.
Heroin in derived from opium. It is a powerful and addictive drug that produces intense euphoria, which often disappears with increasing tolerance. It is snorted, injected or inhaled and100 gm costs about Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 5,000.
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) is a semi-synthetic psychedelic drug. It causes expansion and altered experience of senses, emotions, memories, and awareness for eight to 14 hours. In addition, it may produce visual effects such as moving geometric patterns, "trails" behind moving objects, and brilliant colours. It is available as crystals or as a liquid. Magic mushrooms contain a raw form of this chemical.
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) goes by the street name Ecstasy. It is synthetic and induces a general sense of openness, empathy, energy, euphoria, and well-being. Tactile sensations are enhanced for some users, making general physical contact with others more pleasurable. It is available as tablets (up to Rs. 1,500 for one) and is the most popular party drug preferred by non-addicts.
All the above drugs are fatal in overdoses. Cocaine is the most dangerous when mixed with alcohol. Taken together, they are converted into cocaethylene in the liver and it increases the risk of sudden death because of cardio-pulmonary failure.
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