Easy to find, 20 times cheaper and 10 times more
addictive than cocaine, ‘meow meow’ is the new fad in the city’s drug scene.
The dangerous psychoactive drug, which is banned in party havens like Mumbai
and Goa, is home delivered in Ahmedabad through internet pharmacies. While more
and more youths are getting hooked to the drug that causes nosebleeds, anxiety,
physical and sexual aggression as well as long-term mental health problems, the
Narcotics Control Bureau here is busy holding ‘awareness events’ in colleges
instead of cracking down on dealers to curb this menace.
Meow meow, Drone and MCAT are street names for
mephedrone which is banned in 54 countries including India. Yet, it a rage as
it offers the effects that youth look for – speedy weight loss, lowered
inhibition levels and the ability to function without sleep for long. Despite
the ban, Mirror found several national and regional portals like
IndiaTradeZone.com, Sulekha.com B2B, Majhee.com, DirBharatVyapar.in,
IndiaMart.com and Jigwe.com advertising the product, which looks like cocaine.
Till February, the Food and Drug Administration
recorded 17 cases in the state.
Asked why NCB had not made efforts to tackle the
problem, Zonal Director Hari Om Gandhi said, “We are looking into the matter.
The portals do not provide phone numbers and are not present on ground. They
have a different way of functioning.”
EASY AVAILABILITY
And still, Mirror did not find it the least bit tough
to get in touch with the local dealers who market it as plant feed or bath
salts. Most of these websites provide contact numbers or mail ids. Posing as a
prospective client, Mirror sent an email to an e-commerce website on Tuesday,
seeking information about the delivery of the drug in Ahmedabad. Within 24
hours, Mirror received a call from the portal. They registered an order for 1
kg mephedrone which “will be delivered by local contractors at your doorstep”.
Following this, Mirror also received a confirmation email from the portal.
Sale, transport, import, possession or use of mephedrone
is a non-bailable offence in India since this February after the Centre
accepted Maharashtra government’s recommendation to include mephedrone in the
list of prohibited drugs under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances
Act.
Penalty for possessing 2 gm to 50 gm of mephedrone
(non-commercial quantity) attracts imprisonment of two years, extending up to
10, and a fine of up to Rs1 lakh. Possession of minimum 50 gm (commercial
quantity) leads to imprisonment between 10 to 20 years and a fine of up to Rs 2
lakh.
YOUNG TARGET
Congress MLA Gyasuddin Sheikh has filed a PIL before
Gujarat High Court alleging that despite the ban, the police have failed to do
their job and the drug is easily available in schools and colleges. “The drug
is imported from Mumbai and Goa after which the narcotics mafia sells it to the
youth for around Rs 150 to 500 per gm. Dealers also buy it online and reselling
it to students in schools and colleges in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and
Rajkot,” Sheikh said.
According to de-addiction experts, a high quality
drug costs more than Rs 12,000 per gram. But meow meow costs between Rs 150 and
Rs 2,000 depending on its quality. If inhaled, it takes effect within minutes.
However, if swallowed, it takes half an hour for the drug to take effect.
“Many a time, drug dealers lure students by giving
the first hit for free. The euphoria draws students back for more,” said Dr
Keyur Panchal, de-addiction centre from SAL Hospital.
Due to NCB’s failure to curb sale of this drug, the
list of meow meow patients at de-addiction centres in the city is rising.
At 16 years of age, Rahul, a Class 11 student from a
reputed private school in the city, barely has whiskers sprouting from his
face. Yet, he is addicted to meow meow which “energises and activates the
mind”. “It is cheap enough to be afforded by students and gives a high that is
10 times more powerful than cocaine. That it is home delivered through
e-commerce portals in an unobtrusive way fuels the addiction,” he said, adding,
“This is a stimulant. Many students take it to stay awake and study. It
increases energy and self-confidence. However, the come down was equally
extreme.”
Over a period of time, the failure to maintain the
high leads to depression. Users feel like they are zombies and experience
hallucination of being amidst dead people and devils. Others turn abusive and
violent.
Arjun Avasthi, a second year engineering student,
started off with small doses. However, to sustain the high, he kept having more
and more of the drug till he began spending Rs 15,000 every month on it.
Finally, alerted by his weight loss and weird behaviour, his parents admitted
him to a rehabilitation centre recently.
Dr Panchal said, “Youths from remote areas have also
started using meow meow. I have treated four such cases in the past four
months. They are between the age group of 18-25 years.”
Dr Himanshu Desai from Gujarat Institute of
Psychological Sciences and Research, who is treating Rahul, said, “Teenagers
resort to stealing from their parents, relatives, neighbours and friends to
fund their addiction. However, the addiction can destroy everything: reality,
friendships, relationships, and your family.”
Researchers from the University of Sydney have found
compelling evidence that mephedrone can give users significant memory loss, the
long-term effects of which aren't yet fully understood. It can literally fry
your brains!
*Names of patients have been changed to protect
identity
SIDE-EFFECTS
* Light-eyed effect: sleeplessness for 48 hours
* Heightens sexual drive. It immediately increases urge for physical contact
* Heightens sexual drive. It immediately increases urge for physical contact
* Zombie effect: Fingertips and lips turn blue; this
effect lasts for 4-6 hours
* Hallucinations: User feels s/he is among the dead or among devils
* Uncontrollable abusive or violent behaviour
* Loss of appetite
* Hallucinations: User feels s/he is among the dead or among devils
* Uncontrollable abusive or violent behaviour
* Loss of appetite
* Anxiety/depression
* Headache/chest pain
* Heart palpitations
* Headache/chest pain
* Heart palpitations
Addicted student slashed penis, stabbed
mother
On January 9 this year, Daily Mirror reported that a student in West Sussex, UK, high on meow meow, stabbed his mother before cutting off his penis. The 19-year-old, otherwise described as a lovely lad, was high on the drug and pierced a knife into his mother. After this, he proceeded to cut off his penis. The injured woman called the emergency 999 number and when police arrived, they found the boy hanging from the bedroom window with blood flowing from his wound. Both were rushed to hospital.
On January 9 this year, Daily Mirror reported that a student in West Sussex, UK, high on meow meow, stabbed his mother before cutting off his penis. The 19-year-old, otherwise described as a lovely lad, was high on the drug and pierced a knife into his mother. After this, he proceeded to cut off his penis. The injured woman called the emergency 999 number and when police arrived, they found the boy hanging from the bedroom window with blood flowing from his wound. Both were rushed to hospital.
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