No let-up, 23 suspected drug overdose deaths in 40 days

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 23

There seems to be no let-up in drug-related deaths in the state. In the last 40 days, the health authorities have sent 23 viscera samples in suspected drug overdose cases for a chemical analysis to the State Chemical Testing Laboratory in Kharar. The number of such cases examined by the state laboratory this year has reached 105.

Documents accessed by The Tribune reveal that between July 26 and September 4, 23 viscera samples were sent for a chemical examination. Nearly 12 of these pertain to deaths in July, four in August and the remaining the previous months.

Health officials said it was common that there was a delay in dispatching the samples for testing on part of the district authorities. A complete picture of drug-related deaths in August may emerge in the coming days.

In age-wise break-up among the recent deaths, around 85 per cent of the victims were under the age of 30, with 10 among them under 20.

When it comes to the nature of drug, morphine is the most common killer with around 50 per cent deaths. It is followed by benzodiazepine — a psycho-active drug used for de-addiction and multiple drug abuse — pain reliever tramadol and cocaine.

In Punjab, drug overdose deaths have been on the rise since April when seven cases were reported. July saw the maximum such cases of the recent times with 25 deaths. Earlier last month, The Tribune had reported that till July, 82 viscera samples in suspected drug overdose cases were sent for chemical analysis.

Another life lost in Phagwara

Our Correspondent

Phagwara, September 23

A drug addict, Karamjit Singh, committed suicide by hanging himself with a ceiling fan at his rented house in Miherru Colony on Sunday. 

Station House Officer Surjit Singh said Karamjit was married to Jatinder Kaur in February. 

As he was hooked to drugs, his parents took him to drug de-addiction centres of Amritsar and Jalandhar twice. A few days ago, his wife had left for Singapore. 

The police registered a case and handed over the body to the family members after a post-mortem examination at the local Civil Hospital.