In the last two months, more than 200 youths were found visiting Indian border towns for prescription drug abuse, according to a study prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs.Keeping in view the rise in prescription drug abuse by Nepali youths, who enter the Indian border towns from Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Mahendranagar, Dhangadhi, Birgunj, Bhittamode, Kakadvitta and Biratnagar, the government has stepped up security check on the Nepal-India border.
"It's been a real challenge to control drug abuse despite years of ongoing efforts," said Under-Secretary Fadindra Pokharel, who is a member of the Narcotics Control Section at the Ministry of Home Affairs. He informed that the ministry has circulated special instructions to respective authorities to keep a close watch on youths visiting border towns in India.
"The open and porous border between the two neighboring countries has provided an ideal passage for drug abusers," he said, adding, drug abusers visit Indian border towns as prescription drugs are freely sold there.
Although drug abuse is rising at an alarming rate, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of the Nepal Police has not been able to check drug abuse by youths due to lack of coordination from Indian authorities.
"It is difficult to curb drug abuse until Indian authorities support us wholeheartedly. But they have been ignoring the issue citing various reasons," said SP Dhiraj Pratap Singh of the NCB.
"The home ministry is planning to take diplomatic initiatives but no progress has been made so far," said Pokharel.
Diazepam, Phenergan, Lupigesic and Temgesic injections and Nitrosun tablets are common prescription drugs abused by youths in Nepal. These drugs are freely sold by pharmacists in border towns of India.
"Manually we cannot track abusers as they return after intake of such drugs and we lack modern equipment," said NCB Inspector at Sunauli border check-point Lal Babu Shah.
"We can make immediate arrests for possession of drugs but it is difficult to identify such youths."
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