Palampur youth getting addicted to drugs, situation worse in rural areas

Despite persistent efforts by the law enforcing agencies, drug traffickers have spread their tentacles in this region of the state. These antisocial elements, to establish their nexus, are delivering a variety of intoxicants to adolescents, school students and the unemployed youth.

It has been observed that many youths in the rural areas of Palampur have got hooked on to narcotics. Some of them have even been rendered bedridden due to drug overdose. Doctors in local hospitals are admitting many addicts visiting the OPD. There is no drug de-addiction centre in the region, thus many addicts are asked to go to Chandigarh, Jalandhar or Ludhiana for rehabilitation.

Earlier, charas was made available to youths but now heroine (chitta) is also easily available. In the past one year, the police have arrested a number of persons, including women, involved in this illegal trade and cases under the NDPS Act have been registered at different police stations. Still, there is no let-up and the situation has become worse.

During an interaction with people from various walks of life, it was revealed that many towns and villages, particularly those bordering Punjab, are facing the threat of the inflow of drugs and cheap intoxicants mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Jammu. The traffickers of such substances are luring the unemployed youth, rural people and schoolchildren to become ‘carriers’. The situation is no better in other towns and villages of Kangra, particularly Nurpur subdivision.

A senior police officer, while talking to The Tribune, said that a massive campaign had been launched in Palampur and many drug peddlers had been arrested and numerous cases had been registered under the NDPS Act in the past one year. He added that most of the supplies were coming from the neighbouring states. Without the cooperation of the people, the police would not be able to do much to check the menace. He urged parents should keep a close eye on the activities of their children and their friends.