Addiction claims life of 19-year-old youth

Drug addiction in Sirsa district continues to claim young lives. Gorakh (19) of the Rori area, who had been struggling with drug addiction for four-five years, passed away on Wednesday after allegedly taking an old dose of drugs. One of his family members said that due to financial constraints, Gorakh had been unable to get his usual dose of drugs for the past few days. Desperate for a fix, he took an old dose, which led to fatal vomiting.

This was the fifth drug-related death in the Rori area in December and January. Earlier, four other youths had died from drug overdose, prompting the ADGP’s anti-drug team to launch a special campaign. The team conducted a door-to-door drive to identify youths affected by addiction and successfully sent nearly 20 addicts, including one woman, for treatment.

However, Rajbala, SHO, Rori police station, stated that according to the youth’s parents, he had died of a heart attack. Sub Inspector Rajbala said that Gorakh slept at home the night but didn’t wake up in the morning. During the investigation, it was discovered that he had a history of drug use and was taking some medications. The deceased worked as a labourer. Rajbala said that the family had performed his last rites around 12-1 pm and had not filed any complaint.

A villager said some dangerous drugs remained outside the scope of the NDPS Act. He said youths were increasingly turning to these substances, which they prepared by grinding pills into powder, mixing it with water, and injecting it, often leading to fatal consequences.