Aizawl: Mizoram health minister Lalrinpuii on Tuesday warned that the govt would not hesitate to cancel the licences of pharmaceutical drug dealers found violating the law, amid growing concern over the abuse and illegal sale of prescription drugs, particularly codeine syrup, in the state.The minister made the remarks at an inter-ministerial meeting held in Aizawl on Monday evening to discuss the rise in pharmaceutical drug abuse.The meeting was attended by excise and narcotics minister Lalnghinglova Hmar, officials from the health and excise and narcotics departments, and representatives of the Central Young Mizo Association, or YMA.Lalrinpuii said the meeting noted that a sharp decline in the supply of heroin, considered one of Mizoram’s most serious drug-related threats, had pushed many users toward pharmaceutical drugs.Officials said the price of heroin has risen sharply in the state following a major crackdown on drugs and other substances under Operation Jericho since September last year, leading some users to turn to prescription drugs.The meeting also discussed seizures of drugs intended for misuse and the arrest and prosecution of several people, including licensed medicine dealers, over alleged irregularities in the procurement and sale of medicines, the minister said.According to Lalrinpuii, codeine syrup was identified as the most widely abused pharmaceutical drug in Mizoram. Large quantities were reportedly entering the state and being sold without prescriptions, despite codeine syrup being a prescription-only medicine, she said.The abuse has spread among young people, adults and even schoolchildren, the minister said.Lalrinpuii said restrictions had made codeine syrup difficult to obtain even for patients who genuinely needed it through legitimate pharmacies, while its illegal sale continued on a large scale.She also expressed concern over the alleged involvement of some drug dealers and people posing as medical representatives in the trade, adding that drugs liable to be abused had reached even remote parts of the state.The meeting also discussed cases in which labels on codeine syrup bottles were allegedly replaced with labels of other medicines to conceal their identity, she said. Several such bottles had been seized and some people linked to the illegal trade had been arrested, the minister added.“The government would take strict action against those misusing drug licences granted in good faith to profit from the sale of drugs liable to abuse,” Lalrinpuii said.She said licences of dealers who failed to comply with the law would be revoked, and that new licences would be issued with extreme caution.Lalrinpuii also urged the excise and narcotics department to pursue its investigation vigorously and called on the Food and Drug Administration and the Central YMA to continue their follow-up action.
