Opium consumption has been going on in almost every society for ages. The extent of consumption may vary from time to time and place to place. Punjab is no exception. Opium consumption in Punjab is a well-known fact and widely acknowledged.
No wonder, huge quantities of opium are smuggled into the state from Pakistan through smuggling routes. Despite huge seizures, still a large quantity of opium is said to have found its way into the state.
As long as there is consumption, there is a demand. And as long as there is a demand, there will be supply. And the supply is in abundance. There definitely is a demand for opium in Punjab. It is consumed in the countryside by many people belonging to the well to do families and is not considered to be a taboo.
Even those people, who have inhibitions about consuming liquor for religious reasons, do not mind consuming opium since it is thought to be ‘not forbidden’ by any religion. A prominent and veteran Akali leader was known to consume opium in substantial quantities. So much so, his name was considered to be synonymous with opium.
And those who cannot afford the expensive opium, like the labour and working class, consume the poppy husk (called doda or bhukki in Punjabi). With severe restrictions and the non-availability of ‘doda and bhukki’ people have switched over to synthetic drugs.
No wonder, it is said that for each smuggled consignment of opium that is seized by the Border Security Force or the Punjab Police, five consignments are believed to slip into the state without getting caught. As already said, as long as there is a demand, there will be supply. Opium smugglers exploit the demand and continue with their supply despite so many preventive measures in place.
One of the reasons for the spurt in deaths in Punjab on account of synthetic drugs and overdose is said to be the non-availability of natural opium. That is where the demand comes for legalizing poppy cultivation in Punjab.
Patiala MP, Dr Dharamvir Gandhi is a strong proponent of allowing poppy cultivation in Punjab. There are many others, including medical experts who favour allowing “controlled and regulated” poppy cultivation in the state. The demand resonates overwhelmingly in the countryside among the peasantry.
Some farmers’ organisations have also supported the demand for poppy cultivation in Punjab. This, according to them, will ameliorate the economic and financial condition of farmers, besides helping in reducing paddy cultivation which in turn will help to preserve underground water.
Not long ago, the health department of the Punjab government used to issue “opium consumption licences” to people for medical reasons. The practice has been discontinued a long time ago. However, there are still some old licensees who are entitled to a particular quantity of opium for their personal consumption every month.
There are some states in India, like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, where poppy cultivation is allowed under restricted conditions and in limited areas. In neighbouring Rajasthan, there are licensed “doda and bhukki” vends, like liquor vends in other states.
Those who favour allowing poppy cultivation in Punjab, ask, if it is allowed in states like MP and Rajasthan, why not in Punjab? They also argue that in these states there is no such problem as the widespread drug addiction or abuse of synthetic drugs. However, there is no scientific study available to prove whether that is the case.
Some experts opine that it has to be accepted that drug addiction is a problem in every society. It is practically impossible to finish it. No matter to what extent harsh laws are enacted, the problem still persists. Under these circumstances, the experts suggest, working towards “harm reduction”, as wishing away the harm completely is practically impossible.
Dr Atul Ambekar, a leading expert in de-addiction and Professor at the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and Department of Psychiatry at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi in a column in The Week magazine wrote, “the data shows that the highest rates of opioid addiction in India are in states that are located along the known international heroin trafficking routes (those in the northeast and the northwest).
Thus it seems that excessive control on legal opium cultivation, and non-availability of low-potency opium products like ‘doda’ or ‘bhukki’ (poppy husk) has been followed by a higher demand for internationally trafficked heroin in India”.
He further says, “over-reliance on drug law enforcement is just not ineffective; it may be counterproductive. As long as there is demand for drugs, the supply would continue (and a relatively less harmful drug will often be replaced by a more harmful drug)”.
This is precisely what is happening in Punjab with traditional ‘Doda’ and ‘bhukki’ being replaced by synthetic drugs, leading to the loss of precious lives.
The Punjab government should seriously consider the case of legalizing the poppy cultivation under “controlled and regulated” conditions. It can take the opinion of medical experts and also the law enforcement agencies. There will be a different set of opinions, which it must be evaluated before reaching a final conclusion.
One thing is for sure if the government allows poppy cultivation in Punjab, it will break the back of international drug smuggling that is often accompanied by arms smuggling also. People used to opium/poppy husk consumption can be registered with the health department and provided regulated supply like in the past.
Opioid addiction is a health condition. It has to be treated like that instead of a criminal act. The government will need to look at it in a pragmatic manner and save lives.
Follow us
