Dr Yusuf Merchant, who heads Drug Abuse Information, Rehabilitation and Research Centre, and psychiatrist Dr Rajiv Jerajani, who deals with drug abuse, have to say.
There was a time till the early 20th century when the ‘Brompton cocktail’, a blend of cocaine, morphine and alcohol, was given to terminally-ill cancer patients so that they could die without pain.
A similar combination seems to have been Rahul Mahajan’s undoing. Or was it? Experts say some questions still remain unanswered. Here’s what two of them — Dr Yusuf Merchant, who heads Drug Abuse Information, Rehabilitation and Research Centre, and psychiatrist Dr Rajiv Jerajani, who deals with drug abuse, have to say:
Do you think it was a drug overdose?
Merchant: The drug in question is methyl benzoylecgonine — that is coke. The National Institute on Drug Abuse in the US says even if a person’s urine sample has 300 nanograms of coke and/or 150 gm of ecgonine, it amounts to consumption. The Apollo doctors’ findings in Rahul’s case are in milligrams, I suppose!
Jerajani: There are a lot of unanswered questions. Is it cocaine or heroin or both? If there were mere traces of cocaine in Rahul’s urine sample, what caused his collapse? Habitual users know the difference between heroin and cocaine and will not do both together unknowingly. Heroin is more amorphous while cocaine is crystalline in form.
Is it possible to get killed by using the nasal route?
Merchant: To get killed, you would need 30 milligram per kg body weight. This means 2 gms for a 70 kg guy. So, you can’t overdose through the nasal route. In all probability, it was the combination of coke, heroin and alcohol that did it. With alcohol as a combination though, probably half a gram of cocaine would suffice. If they add heroin, the game is over.
I know at least a dozen addicts over the past 25 years who have died because of mixing drugs. Some quantities of benzodiazepine, a CNS depressant, was also found in Rahul’s blood. This drug is given for epilepsy and anxiety — it would aggravate the effect.
How do you look at this entire episode of one unnatural death and a near-fatality right after Pramod Mahajan’s death?
Merchant: For a campaigner like me, it works as the best advertisement that says drugs could kill. But I am worried for Rahul. It is insensitive to make him out to be some kind of a terrorist or criminal when he is inflicting harm on himself because he cannot help it. He needs help and not the scorn being unleashed on him.
Jerajani: The mystery is still not fully explained. The picture is not entirely clear. How do you explain the presence of thallium in Moitra’s body? Thallium poisoning is unheard of. Where did it come from?
Do you suspect poisoning?
Merchant: It cannot be ruled out. We still don’t have the full picture.
Jerajani: If some poisoning substance was used, the investigating agencies andmedicos need to look for it. The poison has to be first identified as a suspect and tests have to be done accordingly to identify it. One also needs to investigate whether Moitra and Rahul were given different substances.
What’s the cocaine scene in India?
Merchant: Cocaine was used in private parties seven years ago. Then it became popular with the hi-tech crowd that went abroad for studies and brought back the habit. Today, it is freely available as the latest label in big weddings. It is commonly adulterated with tranquilisers or barbiturates. Today, there must be about 50,000 coke addicts in India.
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