Designer drugs Cheap & deadly

Hyderabad: Many students and teenagers of the city have been exposed to drugs like cannabis, LSD and cocaine. But these teenagers are not aware of the fact that the drugs they consume are mostly designer drugs, which is a synthesised version of cocaine and other such drugs.

Consuming these designer drugs is far more dangerous than the original drug; synthetic marijuana (known as K2 or Spice), LSD (known as N-BOMB) etc which come under this category.

These drugs are available at cheaper rates and give an instant high. Suresh (name changed) a 21-year-old who used to consume drugs said, “Drugs are easily available on the Darknet (TOR- The Onion Router) and it is much cheaper online when compared to buying from peddlers.

Peddlers also try to con you by selling spiked drugs claiming that they are pure.” Spiked weed is the weed sprayed with chemicals like weed killers and Gudumba; these stimulate the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that is the primary psychoactive substance in marijuana that triggers the brain.

This weed is widely available in the city and most of the school kids are not even aware that the weed is synthesised, he further added. “The peddlers have been selling LSD for Rs 1,500 which is available only for Rs 350 through online”, Suresh added.

However, some teenagers prefer to consume spiked drugs because it gives an instant high but they are unaware of the fact that it is highly addictive and hazardous for health. The synthetic variant of cathinone, known as Bath Salt, is a psychedelic drug that mimics cocaine and is easily exported labelled as bath salt, plant food or jewellery cleaner.

Small quantities of these designer drugs like ‘Bath Salt, N-BOMB and Meow Meow’ can also be life threatening. “The drug addicts we get are mostly between the ages of 18-35. Most of the parents are in denial of the fact that their child is an addict and the victim is also not entirely open about his/her addiction.

Almost all the abuse cases we get are in latter stages because the families do not pay attention to their children’s behavioural changes, sleeping and eating habits,” said Rasia Luther, Director (Training) and Therapist of Hope Trust. There have been 3670 suicides related to drugs in India according to the last survey of the National Crime Records Bureau.

S K Sinha, Zonal (South) Director of Narcotic Control Bureau said, “The designer drug is a chemical experiment that is made in a way to mimic the characteristics of a particle drug. In this process they change the chemical structure of a known narcotic. This is a way to bypass the law by avoiding the illegal substances from the composition.

By Tera Sneha Reddy​