MP: Vindhya region high on cough syrups, not liquor

BHOPAL: Talk about intoxication and cough syrups are beating liquor in the addiction quotient in Vindhya region of Satna district. Seizure of illegal cough syrups bottles is routine, but the magnitude of the problem can be gauged from the fact that more than 25,000 bottles of different pharmaceutical companies transported or stored illegally were seized this year.
Cough syrups with an ingredient of codeine phosphate has an intoxicating effect on nerves and due to easy availability at chemist shops, it's widely abused in Vindhya region.
As per records of district police, 2 FIRs have been lodged at Satna City Kotwali police station, and one each at Rampur Baghelan and Patan police stations for illegal possession and transportation of cough syrups. Total value of seizure is Rs 2,60,445, say police records.
Police also registered a case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act to put curbs on sale. The draconian law would be slapped if quantity of prohibited content was above permissible limits as prescribed under Act.
"There is a provision in Act that if amount of prohibited content exceeds certain level then NDPS Act is imposed," Satna SP Sanjay Kumar told TOI. He said, "We try to break the chain of supplies when a consignment is seized. In a recent case, we booked the person from whom syrup bottles were seized and also the shopkeeper from Katni who supplied it".
Town inspector of Rampur-Baghelan police station, Animesh Dwivedi who recently seized more than 250 bottles said, "There is approximately 10 milligram of codeine phosphate in each bottle and if around 120 bottle are seized, quantity crosses 2 gm and it comes under NDPS Act".
In NDPS Act, there are three categories. If total codeine phosphate content in bottles seized is between 2-9 gm, it comes under first category. If it's between 10-19 gm it comes under category 2 and if it is above 20gm or above it comes under category 3 of NDPS Act and punishment becomes harsher, said Dwivedi.
There are several side effects of prolonged use like high blood pressure, memory lapse, loss of consciousness, high levels of fatigue, constipation, urinary retention, poor coordination and even death due to overdose.