How legal drugs turn killers

NEW DELHI: The death of a young British couple in Agra last month, allegedly due to prescription drug abuse, has once again exposed the underbelly of the medicine market in India where one can buy anything for a price. It has also shown up the medical community for the irresponsibility with which its members prescribe such drugs to those that don't require them.
Before he was found dead, James Oliver Gaskell (28) had been happily tweeting about how easy it is to get prescription drugs in India-whether they be sleeping pills, anti-depressants or cough syrups-even if they fall in the 'restricted sale' category.
This case is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, say medical experts. "Use of prescription drugs to get high is rising at an alarming rate. As usual, it's youth who are worst-affected. They often use these with alcohol and other substances and that proves fatal," Dr Smita Deshpande, senior psychiatrist at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, said. She said drugs are the third most commonly-abused substance after alcohol and marijuana.
According to Dr Nimesh Desai, director of Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), youngsters find it easier to take certain prescription drugs as these give them a rush as does alcohol or marijuana but their effects are easier to hide. "Alprax is one of the most commonly-abused drugs. Painkillers-both opioids and non-opioids-come next," Desai said. Whether it's prescribing these sensitive drugs or selling them over the counter, there is little accountability, he added.
"We all know that one can easily get drugs, meant for restricted sale or sale through prescription only, from some pharmacists, in lieu of a little extra payment. But the incident involving the British couple adds another dimension to the issue. They managed to get a prescription for the anti-anxiety pill, Diazepam, from a well-known doctor," a senior doctor at AIIMS said.
According to a report by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), increase in use of synthetic and prescription drugs is offsetting the success achieved through limiting heroin and cocaine use in many countries worldw
Another concern is the growing number of users who take prescription drugs to enhance the effects of their illicit drug of choice.
"The government must come up with stringent regulations and audits for sale and prescription of sensitive drugs. Youngsters who use these drugs are at risk of having serious health problems such as kidney damage, memory failure and nervous paralysis. Taking of injectable drugs can lead to sharing of contaminated equipment. This ups the risk of contracting Hepatitis C and AIDS," a medical expert said.