The city faces a disturbing problem of easy availability of drugs and its usage.
The death of Gitesh Hari Gujral, 27, last Thursday, due to a suspected drug overdose in the Pune Cantonment area is a clear indicator to the disturbing problem of easy availability of drugs and its usage in the city.
The police officials told DNA that Gujral, whose body was found near the Silver Jubilee petrol pump in the Pune Cantonment area on June 23, was addicted to drugs.
Bund Garden police station’s senior inspector UN Sonawane said, “Gujral was identified on the basis of his identity card. He was an MBA graduate working for a Yerawada-based company. His family members have confirmed that he was addicted to brown sugar.”
Even as the city observes the World Anti Drug Day on Sunday, the police officials on Friday said that the city has become a haven for drug use. “The use and sale of narcotics in the city remain rampant, as is evident from the fact that areas like Kondhwa, Yerawada and Pimpri are fast becoming hubs for drug dealers,” they said.
According to the police, the city’s status as a drug consumption centre is high because of the easy availability of drugs like marijuana and brown sugar. “However, there is a less demand for drugs like cocaine, heroin and opium as they are costly and are made available only in case of specific demand,” the police officials said.
The police officials said their concerted efforts have helped in containing the demand for marijuana and brown sugar since 2007. “Marijuana and brown sugar are commonly used by slum dwellers, smokers, drug addicts and youngsters because of their easy availability,” a police official said.
The police investigations have revealed that narcotics are being smuggled into Pune from Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Kashmir among others in huge quantities.
Social security cell senior inspector Banupratap Barge told DNA, “The youth are mostly attracted to ganja and charas. Youth smoke ganja mixed in cigarettes. Women consume less as compared to men. Most students engage in ganja and cocaine.”
Anti-narcotic cell senior inspector Satish Deore said, “Sale of drugs which took place openly has now stopped because of strong police action.”
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