Punjab’s Opioid Crisis

What is the issue?

• Punjab is one of the hotbeds of drug abuse in India, has a worsening Opioid crisis.
• Punjab state government has taken various measures to enhance Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST).

What are Opioids?

• Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription.
• These drugs are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain.
• Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor.
• As they produce euphoria in addition to pain relief they can be misused, when misused opioid pain relievers can lead to overdose incidents and deaths.

What measures were taken by Punjab to counter drug abuse?

• It is estimated that Punjab has between 1.7 lakh and 2.7 lakh addicts.
• State government has promised to end the drug menace, through policing and by medical interventions.
• State government on pilot basis had introduced Buprenorphine-based Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) programme.
• Buprenorphine is currently administered in four rehabilitation and 21 community health centres in the state.
• As of mid-January 2018, 1,712 new patients were registered in the three districts where the pilot is running, the patient retention rate currently stands at 82.13%.

What is the role of Buprenorphine in OST?

• Opioid substitution therapy (OST) is the proper procedure for the treatment endorsed by WHO, Buprenorphine is one of the OST drug given on a long-term basis.
• The treatment involves doctor-administered doses of Buprenorphine under controlled circumstances.
• The drug can play a major role in rehabilitating addicts if used under medical supervision along with psychosocial interventions.
• In India Buprenorphine is a Schedule H drug and is available at government-recognised pharmacies only.

What are the Risks involved with Buprenorphine?

• Patients may get addicted to Buprenorphine, and start consuming it in non-medical environments.
• If injected along with depressant drugs, this can even lead to death.
• In Punjab there was a boom in the demand for Buprenorphine as addicts found the drug to be an alternative.
• Private psychiatrists had started prescribing the drug in excessive quantity to addicts, and it was being sold as an alternative to heroin.

What measures were taken to address misuse of OST drugs?

• Punjab government had ordered a high-profile crackdown on drug peddlers by placing restrictions on Buprenorphine.

• The government issued orders to restrict its supply after there were reports of misuse and illegal sale.
• Its availability was restricted to government and private rehabilitation centres only.
• Buprenorphine is sold under strict regulations and cannot be purchased without the prescription of a qualified doctor.
• It is also listed as a psychotropic substance under The Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances Act.

Source: Indian Express