Drug use among youth on the rise in Manipur: experts

Along with the rest of the world, International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was observed widely by various organizations on the theme “Make health your new high in life, Not drugs” in Manipur on Thursday.
State deputy chief minister Gakhangam who attended as chief guest of the state level observance function organized by the state social welfare department in association with FINGODAP- Manipur Chapter expressed concerned over the increasing drug users in Manipur.
He stressed on giving more impetus in tackling drug menace, corruption confronting the state and in improving law and order as well.
Manipur has around 12,210 injecting drug users as per data available and collected from Targeted Intervention (TI) programme and Oral Substitution Therapy (OST). This figure was exclusive of the TI programme but a large number of injecting drug users and youngsters taking to abuse of SP capsules are not covered by this programme.
He said, “The increasing number of roads, buildings and other infrastructure developments that we see today in the state are all useless until and unless we try to deal with the present drug menace, corruption and law and order situation prevailing here.”
The state level observance function held at KangShang, Khuman Lampak in Imphal was also attended by social welfare minister, AK Mirabai, principal secretary (social welfare) SK Dev Verman, national president of FINGODAP Manipur Chapter Dr A Jayantakumar etc.
On the other, a report carried out a local daily in Imphal highlighted an increase in drug abuse in Manipur with dreaded heroin readily available in different parts of the state at relatively cheaper price.
The number of youngsters taking to drugs like heroin is increasing. With the price of Spasmo Proxybon now sky rocketing to Rs 250 per capsule in the black market, many SP capsule abusers have switched to heroin as the latter is readily available at just Rs 50 per dose, the report said.
On the other hand, poppy was being cultivated extensively in many interior hill areas of the state which are then imported to Myanmar and sold at Rs 15000 to 20000 per Kg.
One of the main reasons behind increasing cultivation of poppy in Manipur and neighbouring states was closely related with the stricter being imposed in the neighbouring country Myanmar, experts in the field observed.
In Myanmar, if opium or heroin is seized from any individual by the revolutionary groups, he/she would be shot dead. If the banned item is seized by authority of government of Myanmar, he/she would be imprisoned for life.
Because of such stringent measures, poppy cultivation and manufacturing of opium has declined drastically in Myanmar. As the result of such stringent measures, cultivation of poppy is shifted to neighbouring Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.