In the most recent of chain of incidents, Ashim Tamang, a driver was assaulted by a group of drug addicts late in the evening at the Kalimpong motor stand. Friends, Yogesh Mukhia and Santosh Sharma, who came to his rescue, were also brutally beaten. All three had to be admitted to hospitals. An alarming rise in drug addicts and its ultimate fallout, drug related crime, has put the police in the Darjeeling Hills on tenterhooks. Though they have conducted the odd raid and have been successful in netting a few peddlers, it has done precious little to control the spiralling incidents of drug addicts assaulting innocent residents. Sources said the areas around Goaskhan, Carmichael Ground and Bhalukhop have become a haven for drug addicts. The floating population, mainly passing driver and residents returning late, live in constant fear of being accosted and assaulted by the hooligains.
Cough syrup and other medicines like codeine phosphate and ephriydrine hydrochloride and adhesives with a high content of spirit are the paupers’ staple for an assured high. With the police drawing a blank on ways of dealing with the issue, relatives of a drug addict, recently ransacked a medical store, alleging that the shopkeeper used to sell spasmoprosyvon without any prescription. The owner, Kunal Das is apparently absconding.
Psychologically proven, addiction is the result of frustration like unemployment, divorced parents and other similar facts and figures. Not all of the reasons can be handled, but some pertaining to unemployment can be sorted out if the state government melts its way and provides better job opportunities for the Hill youths.
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