Injecting crushed painkillers 'direct path to death': Haryana Narcotics Control Bureau chief

Chandigarh, Aug 21 (PTI) With an intensified crackdown on narcotics sharply cutting supply lines in Haryana, the squeeze is pushing addicts toward dangerous substitutes -- injecting crushed painkillers and prescription tablets, officials said.

O P Singh, head of the Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau (HSNCB), on Thursday said addicts are reportedly crushing and injecting tablets such as Tramadol, Tapentadol, and Pregabalin and warned that it was a "direct path to death." Medical experts say this misuse can trigger blood clotting, cardiac arrest, and sudden death within minutes.

Singh, a DGP-rank officer, said, "Improvised drug substitutes like injecting crushed tablets are not only hazardous, they are lethal. Misuse of such medicines can stop the heart instantly. No high is worth a life." Enforcement data from January to July 2025 showed an intensified crackdown on narcotics, with 2,161 FIRs being registered during the period, compared to 2,022 in the corresponding period last year, a 6.87 per cent rise.

Seizures increased with 267 commercial quantity cases being booked against last year’s 238 (12.18 per cent rise), while 1,493 intermediate quantity cases were recorded compared to 1,142 in 2024 (30.74 per cent rise).

Arrests jumped 35.21 per cent, from 2,684 to 3,629, and inter-state arrests rose to 293 from 175, a 36.57 per cent increase.

Preventive detentions climbed from eight in 2024 to 39 this year (79.48 per cent rise). Multi-accused cases almost doubled, rising from 574 to 1,030 (79.44 per cent increase).

"These numbers show that our grip on the supply network is tightening," another senior officer of the bureau said, adding, "We are targeting traffickers at every level, from local peddlers to interstate cartels".

The HSNCB is coupling enforcement with prevention, according to officials.

Between January and July, 698 awareness programmes were held, reaching over 1.15 lakh participants. The 'Sports for Youth' programme covered 4,270 villages and engaged 2.8 lakh young people, Singh said.

The bureau maintains that the war against drugs is not just about seizures but also about protecting citizens from dangerous improvisations born of scarcity.

Last week, Singh appealed to the people to play an active role by reporting any drug-related activities on the national helpline number -- 1993.

Singh recently launched a podcast series to bring the people closer to the state's battle against drugs by offering real, unfiltered stories from ground operations. PTI SUN RHL