Eateries on periphery of towns a safe haven for drug addicts

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 18

Roadside dhabas doing poor business and those running from secluded or abandoned houses are becoming a safe haven for drug addicts, particularly teenagers.

A large number of such dhaba owners and petty shopkeepers are acting as passive partners and letting the youth indulge in alcohol and drug abuse.

Dhabas on the periphery of towns are considered safer and the situation is alarming in tourist places of Shimla, Dharamsala, Manali, besides Solan, Baddi, Kullu, Mandi, Una and even the villages are not untouched.

As a few people visit these dhabas, the people indulging in alcohol and drugs, especially cannabis, find it an ideal place to sit and enjoy. In Shimla, there are a large number of such joints in Sanjauli, Chamyana, Malayana belt, Kasumpti, Panthaghati, New Shimla, Summer Hill, Advanced Studies, Shoghi, Totu, Chakkar and bus stand.

“My favourite place to get intoxicants used to be my home as it was safe. The other places were dhabas in the vicinity of the city, forest areas and parking lots in isolated areas,” said an addict undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation centre in the suburbs of Shimla.

“These people come in groups, sit for hours and order tea four to five times. At times, they also take samosas, pakoras and sweets and we earn up Rs 500 per day. Why would we discourage them?” a dhaba owner said.

“The kids are indulging in smoking and doping at an early age of 13 or 14 and cannabis has become the gateway to other dangerous drugs as after sometime the body gets used to a particular drug and the attraction among the youth to try something new leads to the use of tablets, capsules and syrups followed by heroin,” said Vikram Kuthiala, who is running a de-addiction centre “New Life Foundation” for the past five years.

As per studies, 15-20 per cent of crime is committed by drug addicts and 4.8 per cent of road accidents caused by drugs and alcohol users. A disturbing trend that has emerged among the youth is taking pride in flaunting cigarettes, lighters, T-shirts, belts, wallets, jackets, caps, key-chains and other products with imprint of cannabis leaf.

In the first six months of 2019, as many as 622 cases were registered under the NDPS Act in the state and the seizure by the police includes 142-kg charas, 7.1-kg opium, 1016.5-kg poppy husk, 69-gm smack, 3.6-kg heroin, 6.7-kg ganja, 50,453 capsules, 5,810 tablets and 9,754 bottles of syrup.

Shimla replete with such places

• As a few people visit these dhabas, the people indulging in alcohol and drugs, especially cannabis, find it an ideal place to sit and enjoy. In Shimla, there are a large number of such joints in Sanjauli, Chamyana, Malayana, Kasumpti, Panthaghati, New Shimla, Summer Hill, Advanced Studies, Shoghi, Totu, Chakkar and bus stand. 
• A disturbing trend that has emerged among the youth is taking pride in flaunting  cigarettes, lighters, belts, wallets, jackets and key-chains having an imprint of cannabis leaf.