While Rajendranagar area known as ‘Tavern of dipsomaniacs’ given the number of liquor shops in the area, the Hassan Nagar and Suleman Nagar areas of the same region turned into a hub of substance abuse cases as over the counter (OTC) sale of medicines continue to run through several medical shops on the city outskirts.
Medicines like Zolfresh and Nitravet-10 are freely accessible to anyone as over the counter sale of these drugs from pharmacists are very common especially in Hassan Nagar, Indra Nagar, Suleman Nagar and other surrounding areas. Underage boys as young as 12 to 14 years said to have been using these medicines as an alternative for alcohol and capering around under the influence of additives.
Mohd Anwar, a resident of Hassan Nagar, said “Youngsters as young as 14 years are again seen tossing on the roads in intoxicated state purportedly using banned substances like marijuana and medicines like Zolfresh and Nitravet are easily available over the counter. In some cases youngsters used 4 to 10 tablets of Zolfresh at a time that makes them completely junked-up for the whole day.”
The officials of Drug Control Administration are fully aware that the areas under question are the vulnerable points wherein cases like over the counter sale and substance abuse are very much common. They even carried out some inspections two year back following the reports of teenagers resorting to quarrelling with local people under the influence of additives that are freely accessible to them at local medical shops.
However, no such measures were seen during the last two years. The situation has limped back to the same position where it was in the year 2019.
Meanwhile, the medical experts warned overuse of these medicines citing serious health complications. Dr. Shivaram Rao K, Consultant Neuro Physician, Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad said, “Drugs like Zolfresh and Nitravet come under the category of benzodiazepines which are commonly used for insomnia and other sleep issues. Chronic usage or abuse of these drugs can lead to physical and psychosocial dependence which in turn impair their career, relations, physical and emotional health.”
“The issue of abuse of these drugs is not just in youngsters but also very common in the elderly who become very dependent upon them” he said adding that “The most common neurological symptoms that we see are dizziness, lightheadedness, visual disturbances like blurring of vision, photophobia and double vision, unsteady walking, confusion and disorientation, rarely delusions, and hallucinations. Long-term effects of it can include rebound insomnia, nightmares, anxiety, panic attacks, agitated behavior, poor memory, and depression. So people abusing these drugs should be aware of these complications and parents should watch over these signs among teenagers.”
“Strict regulations have to be made to prevent easy availability of the drugs over the counter to prevent the abuse along with awareness campaigns about the side effects of long-term usage of the drugs to curtail the problem,” he suggested.
