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40pc crimes take place in Natore due to drug addiction alone

From Our Correspondent
NATORE. Feb 4 . Drug addiction is on rise in Banalata Sen s Natore. causing an alarming increase in social crimes and injustice in the society and grave concern among the guardians.
An estimate shows that the district, now. has about 10.000 drug addicts while there are about 4,000 drug addicts in the poura areas.
The crime situation in the northern district — Natore has deteriorated to a serious proportion during last several months because of drug addiction. said an official.
A reliable source informed that about 40 per cent of the crimes in Natore town are taking place due to drug addiction. and the scenario is almost the same in other five thanas of the district.
Most of the addicts are voting and married and the Intoxicating items include drugs, opium, tablets, liquor, Mritasanjibani sura, heroin, phensidyl syrups and ganja.
Heroin, locally known as puria'. a deadly drug is being sold in some areas of the town almost openly, local people complained. There are
about 500 heroin addicts in Natore district, estimates say.
Phensidyl syrups and ganja are other two devastating popular drug addiction which is being used here widely. The school and college students, frustrated youngsters, rickshawpullers and day labourers are the main customers of these drugs.
The estimate further says that there are over one thousand students drug addicts in the district.
A college student, who does not want to disclose his name, told this correspondent that he took only one bottle of phensidyl syrup a day the first time, but now he can not live without 5 or 6 bottles a day! He further added that he lost his Interest in all other works.
Names of girls have recently been reported in the list of drug addicts. The girls are mostly prostitutes. It was learnt.
The sources informed that an addicted person usually takes minimum four doses of drugs. Each doses costs Taka 10 to 60. So an addict has to
spend Taka 40 to Taka 240 daily that is impossible for most of the common people. That is why, some of them take adulterated drugs which are much cheaper and used usually twice a day. About 70 per cent of the addicted people can not afford the money from their own pockets. The addicted people sell even their households, commit theft and resort to snatching to meet the cost of drugs especially heroin.
Rectified spirit is also being freely consumed as alcohol by the youths In the town causing moral degradation. Residents complained that addicted young people buy the spirit from homeopathic doctors and take it as alcohol by mixing with water.
Some dishonest homeopathic doctors are allegedly collecting sprite from Natore Jamuna Distillery Company and Inspite of having any licences to practise are selling the spirit to the addicts at exorbitant prices.
But. as the government rule, licences for rectified sprit are only issued to the bonafide homeo-medicine
manufacturers.
Officials and experts warned that if the present trend of drug addiction continued. the number of addicts would be threefold in two to three years. The crimes will also increase proportionately.
Experts said, Natore is used as a transit point for shipment of the smuggled drugs as the district is the gate-way to north Bengal re-gion.
Some organised gangs are engaged in transporting all these drugs in co-operation with the members of the law enforcing agencies, it was alleged.
It was also learnt that the drugs are mainly being sold at Lalbazzar, Horizol Colony. Chowkirpar, Fulbagan. Railway station areas. Kapuri-apotty and different homeopathic drug stores in Natore poura areas.
Local guardians have urged the concerned authorities to take immediate measures to eliminate the selling of the drug to save the young generation from further ruination.