Pharm parties...
YOUNGSTERS ARE GETTING IN THE HABIT OF MIXING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS WITH OTHER MEDICINES AND ALCOHOL TO GET HIGH
“It is the responsibility of the elders in the family to keep all drugs, especially the ones with addictive potential, out of reach of children and adolescents in the family. We see teenagers and young people coming here with an overdose of various drugs, but I have not seen any recent splurge in such admissions,” explains Dr Hari Kishan Boorugu, Consultant Physician, Apollo Hospitals.
DEADLY COMBINATION
The most commonly abused drugs are Morphine, Ephedrine, Pseudo Ephedrine, Ketamine, Diazepam, Zolfresh, Alprazolam, Lorazepam, Codeine based cough syrup and Phensedyl, and when consumed with alcohol, these cocktails often lead to severe medical emergencies with dire consequences. When patients and medical professionals have no idea what exactly was taken, the ability to treat common overdoses gets severely dented and turns even more dangerous.
So, how do they know which drug to take to get high? Says a student, “You get all the information on the net.”
S.K. Sinha says, “There have been reports of abuse of prescription drugs such as Alprazolam, Diazepam, villium, cough syrups, etc. All pain killers, anaesthesia, and drugs meant for treating depression and anxiety, stimulants, cough syrups based on codeine (a substance derived from opium), etc. Usually it is diverted from retailers and wholesalers.”
This can be dangerous, not only for youngsters, but also for the family and the society, points out Dr Sandeep Lakhtakia, Gastroenterologist, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, adding, “The youth can get addicted to sedatives or neuro-stimulants, which are meant for their elders or parents. This can have serious social implications.”
In this context, the value systems in families need critical analysis. How are pleasures and celebrations interpreted? While pomp and show are the norms, weird manifestations of pleasures are beginning to show up. It all boils down to the culture and principles, which run in a family.
As Dr Stephen Covey, the author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, says, what is urgent may not be important and what is important may not be urgent. Child upbringing is both important and urgent at all times and cannot be second to anything.
We have heard of all kinds of parties — potluck parties, farm parties, rave parties and beach parties! Here’s the latest and most dangerous kind — Pharm Parties. Pharm parties are nothing but drug abuse by getting high on prescription drugs. These parties are an extension of a recent trend by teens in using drugs to get high. They are a potluck of pharma drug consumption, and are growing dangerously.
Recently, a man selling prescribed drugs for parties of these kinds was arrested by the narcotics bureau.
“We busted a call centre in which the accused would sell banned and prescription drugs to customers. Parents need to keep a watch over their children and the happenings around them. If anyone comes across any such parties, they should report to us immediately,” says S.K. Sinha, Zonal Director, Narcotics Control Bureau, Bengaluru.
Children, mostly teenagers, get prescription drugs from home, mix up anti-inflammatory and anti-flu medicines, painkillers, even anti-depressants, and drugs of all kinds into a huge bowl along with alcohol. The result is a lethal cocktail.
The biggest mistake parents make is that they assume their children aren’t using this, or they’re safe from these dangers!
“Every day my son would come home and talk to us about how other students from his school take or talk about alcohol or drugs. Being a parent, it’s a serious concern and schools should have some mechanism to handle such issues,” says Bina Mehta, whose son recently passed out from a high-profile international school.
More and more middle and high school students know how to buy alcohol or prescription drugs. What’s more, high-profile schools are no longer immune from drugs on campus, and schools prefer to keep such incidents away from enforcement agencies fearing their reputation. On condition of anonymity, a student from the same school, says, “There are students who take drugs and alcohol, but the school has been focusing on creating awareness. They have a psychologist to counsel students.”
Teens abusing prescription drugs may not be a new problem, but the concern now is the spiralling trend of these pharm parties. “Abuse of pharmaceutical drugs is not a new phenomenon in India. Parents need to be aware and cautious to ensure that medicines kept for legitimate purpose at home are not stolen and consumed by vulnerable children. Strict action needs to be taken against pharmacies selling such drugs without valid prescriptions,” says Madho Singh, Zonal Director, Narcotics Control Bureau, New Delhi.
Pharm parties are an extension of a recent trend by teens in using drugs to get high
“Over-the-counter availability of prescription drugs, especially the habit forming medicines, is a crime under law. In Telangana, during my previous stint in the drug control administration, we took strict measures against the availability of over-the-counter prescription medicines. Almost all medical stores across the twin cities put up posters asking customers to bring their prescriptions along. I do agree there has been a laxity of late, and there is a stringent need to control the situation,” says Akun Sabharwal, Director, Prohibition and Excise.
There are many drugs which are commonly used for therapeutic purpose for common ailments and yet have addictive potential like Tramadol, Codeine and sleeping pills like Lorazepam, Alprazolam, etc. “Medications like these should not be dispensed over-thecounter, without a valid prescription.”
Parents need to be cautious to ensure that medicines kept at home are not consumed by children — MADHO SINGH, ZONAL DIRECTOR, NARCOTICS CONTROL BUREAU Over-the-counter availability of prescription drugs, especially the habit-forming medicines, is a crime under law — AKUN SABHARWAL, DIRECTOR, PROHIBITION AND EXCISE