Heroin, often smuggled from Pakistan, is easily accessible in Punjab.
For years, a pressing drug crisis has been destroying the northwest Indian state of Punjab.
Indeed, Punjab is grappling with a severe and unrelenting drug crisis, a situation of grave concern that has left families shattered and communities in despair.
In 2020, 75% of all drugs seized in India were within the state of Punjab.
In the first six months of 2024, the state police registered 4,373 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and 6,002 people were arrested.
Moreover, authorities registered 29,010 NDPS cases and arrested 39,832 people in the last three years. They also seized 2,710kg of heroin.
According to an affidavit submitted by the Punjab police in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, drug overdoses claimed 159 lives in 2022–23, 71 in 2021–22, and 36 in 2020–21.
DESIblitz explores how and why drugs are destroying Punjab.
Popular Drugs in Punjab
Punjab remains a central transit point for drug trafficking and distribution.
The Golden Crescent (Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan) and the Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Laos and Thailand) are major international sources, with Punjab situated on the transit route of the Golden Crescent.
Moreover, opioid-based and synthetic drugs are manufactured and supplied domestically.
The most commonly abused drugs in Punjab include heroin, synthetic opioids, and prescription medications.
Opioids are a class of drugs that includes the illegal drug chitta (heroin) as well as powerful pain relievers available by prescription, like oxycodone (oxycontin).
Synthetic drugs, referred to as “designer drugs” or new psychoactive substances (NPS) are also a concern, Synthetic opioids, such as tramadol, are popular due to their cheap cost and high availability.
Heroin, often smuggled from Pakistan, is easily accessible in Punjab.
Prescription drugs, like painkillers and sedatives, are often misused for recreational purposes.
A report in 2023 revealed that of the 6.6 million drug users in Punjab, as many as 697,000 are children between 10-17 years of age.
Among these, opioids (including heroin) are taken by 343,000 children, 18,100 take cocaine, and around 72,000 are addicted to inhalants.
Why is Drug Abuse Rampant in Punjab?
Several factors contribute to the widespread drug problem in Punjab, which is one of the worst in India.
The state’s geographical location plays a significant role. It is a crucial transit point for drug trafficking. Punjab’s border districts became the crossing points for traffickers bringing in, for example, heroin from Afghanistan through Pakistan.
Drugs are easily accessible, and many are purchased cheaply. For some social media, peer pressure and the desire to escape life’s challenges also contribute to substance abuse.
The young and old, illiterate and educated, men and women have succumbed to addiction across Punjab.
Women, married and single, who are addicted have turned to selling belongings and even prostitution to feed their habit. Of the total number of female addicts in India, 16% are from Punjab.
In turn, women are also playing a role in the distribution of drugs. In the past three years, 3,164 women drug smugglers have been arrested from the state.
Furthermore, technological advancements are also helping drug smuggling networks and traffickers. Drones have emerged as a tool to smuggle drugs and weapons from across the border.
Since September 2019, authorities have reported 906 drone sightings in all the state’s border districts and successfully recovered 187 of those drones.
Punjab, known as the Annapurna state, provides 31% of the wheat and 21% of the rice consumed across India.
Thus, from an economic perspective alone, Punjab’s drug crisis, which is turning its people into ‘zombies’, has wider ripple effects outside the state.
Each year, the issue of drugs destroying Punjab has been a key election issue. Yet officials continue to struggle to grapple with the crisis.
The Role of Law Enforcement and Officials in Punjab’s Drug Crisis
Reports highlight that some politicians, police, and other officials participate in the deadly and harmful drug trade.
The arrest of dismissed Punjab Police DSP Jagdish Singh Bhola in a multimillion-dollar drug racket in 2013 exposed the extent of the problem.
The disgraced Bhola is serving a 24-year jail sentence in a drugs smuggling case. In July 2024, the court also sentenced him to 10 years in jail for money laundering.
In early 2024, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered the transfer of at least 10,000 police personnel in an unprecedented move to try and tackle Punjab’s drug crisis.
Mann said authorities transferred the officers because reports indicated a nexus between police officials and drug peddlers.
Moreover, he alleged that authorities had ignored complaints against officers for years.
Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla said the state government has implemented a three-pronged strategy – Enforcement, De-addiction, and Prevention (EDP) – to eradicate drugs from Punjab.
On August 28, 2024, the Punjab government renamed the Special Task Force (STF) – the apex state-level drug law enforcement unit – the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF).
The government gave the ANTF additional personnel, resources and technology to combat the drug crisis.
However, despite increased efforts by law enforcement and authorities to crack down, drugs continue to ravage Punjab, its people and communities.
The Health Consequences of Drug Addiction
Drug addiction severely affects the health of individuals. It leads to various physical and mental health issues.
The healthcare system in Punjab is struggling to cope with the rising number of drug-related illnesses. Rehabilitation centres can be overcrowded and lack the necessary resources.
Some of the physical symptoms of drug use and addiction have people being referred to as ‘zombies’ as they are unable to move or stand.
Watch the Videos. Warning – Distressing Images
#Shocking videos have emerged from Punjab showing people unable to even stand due to #drug overdoses.
Video 1 from from Maqboolpura in Amritsar (2022)
Video 2 from Amritsar (2022)
Video 3 again from Amritsar (2024) — video via @bluntdeep pic.twitter.com/lpsr0Gyd7d— Sneha Mordani (@snehamordani) June 24, 2024
June 26 is observed as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. On this date, in 2024, the Akal Drug De-Addiction Centre announced the creation of its third centre at Chunni Kalan in Punjab.
Akal Drug De-Addiction Centre operates two centres, one in Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, and another in Cheema Sahib, Punjab.
Moreover, de-addiction drugs in Punjab are reportedly creating further issues.
Authorities have found that thousands of addicts in government and private treatment centres in Punjab are addicted to de-addiction drugs like buprenorphine.
Buprenorphine is given in combination with naloxone to opioid addicts.
In March 2023, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh told the state Assembly that there were 874,000 drug addicts in the state. He said 262,000 addicts were in government de-addiction centres while 612,000 were in private centres.
Punjab government psychiatrist Dr Puja Goyal stated in 2023:
“No doubt people are hooked on it [buprenorphine], and it is being misused after being procured from non-government sources, but overall, this drug is part of the harm-reduction therapy.
“Those who are using this drug are no longer IV users, which has reduced the harmful effects of IV use, and they are back to normal life.
“We cannot deny that many people are addicted to it.”
Families and Communities Shattered as Drugs Ravage Punjab
Drugs are destroying Punjab due to the devastating impact on families and communities.
Families are being torn apart as loved ones fall prey to addiction. The financial burden of treatment and rehabilitation is overwhelming for many households.
One of India’s most prosperous states is in danger of losing an entire generation and the potential they hold for drug abuse and addiction.
Mukhtiar Singh’s son Manjit died in June 2016. Mukhtiar told the BBC:
“In my wildest dreams, I could not imagine what was to happen to him.”
Mukhtiar is a worker in the government’s power department. When his son died, he marched through the streets of his village carrying his son’s body and then addressed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
“I told the Prime Minister he needed to step in to save Punjab’s youth from drugs. Our children are dying, and nothing is being done.”
Yet the loss and anguish families in Punjab face continues. In 2018, 55-year-old Lakshmi Devi lost her son, Ricky Lahoria. He died of a drug overdose at the age of 25:
“He was my only son, but I had started wishing that he would die… And now, I cry the whole night with his photograph in my hand.”
Ricky was one of 60 deaths linked to drug abuse in Punjab between January and June 2018, according to official estimates. This is double the figures from 2017 when 30 people died in drug-related incidents.
In 2024, drugs continue to run rampant across Punjab, rather than stagnating or reducing in their devastating impact.
April 2024 saw a shocking incident of triple murder reported in Punjab. A drug addict named Amritpal Singh, in a state of intoxication, allegedly killed his mother, sister-in-law and two-and-a-half-year-old nephew.
Amritpal Singh went to the police station to confess after committing the murders.
Attempts to address the drug crisis that continues to sweep through Punjab are being made, yet month after month and year after year, stories of more families being left shattered emerge.
The Role of the Government and Community Initiatives
The government has launched several initiatives to combat the drug problem.
The Anti-Drug Abuse Campaign aims to raise awareness about the dangers of drug use. Also, the Punjab Police have intensified their crackdown on drug trafficking and distribution networks.
Rehabilitation programs are being expanded to provide better support for addicts. Community-based organisations are also vital to rehabilitation and recovery.
Ashwini, a leader of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, an organisation that works with young people, stated:
“A number of youngsters have died in this area [Muktsar district] due to drug abuse. Five-six of them are under treatment.
“This is rampant, particularly among the families of agriculture workers.”
“Most of them cannot afford chitta [a synthetic drug made from heroin popular in Punjab], but they use some other varieties of chemicals available widely in the State.
“Whichever government comes at the Centre, they must take the strongest possible measures to stop drug trade. Youngsters are dying.
“There should be jobs so that we all can survive.”
Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain. Drug traffickers often find new ways to smuggle and distribute drugs.
Corruption and lack of accountability within law enforcement agencies hinder anti-drug efforts.
Moreover, the stigma associated with addiction prevents many from seeking help or families from reporting drug-related deaths.
Punjab’s drug crisis is a complex issue that continues to require urgent attention.
The devastating impact of drugs on individuals, families, and society cannot be ignored.
Problems of drug addiction result in significant costs to all. Costs include lost productivity, transmission of infectious diseases, family suffering, social disorder, crime, and extra pressure on the healthcare system.
Tajinder, a Birmingham librarian whose family originate from Punjab, told DESIblitz:
“The impact on young people is devastating. The youth are becoming deprived and disaffected.
“I don’t know what the root cause is, but it’s more prevalent now. Either access to drugs is easier, or it’s the lack of networks of support.
“A lot of people are leaving Punjab, leaving things barren. There’s no safety net.
“In India, we’re more dispersed now, from big families and nuclear families to secular families.”
Addressing this ongoing drug epidemic requires cooperation from the government, law enforcement, community organisations, and society at large.
The ongoing extreme difficulty Punjab faces in tackling the drug crisis highlights the process will not be easy or quick.
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