Brown Sugar Heroin in India
India is known to be one of the primary consumers of heroin in the world along with China, Pakistan and Iran. India is also the largest grower of licit opium in the world, which is used to make a range of prescription medications including morphine and synthetic opium drugs. The geographical location of India is between two the two largest illicit opium growers, Burma and Afghanistan, and evidence shows that India is used as a major trafficking route between the two. Additionally, law enforcement has an increasing problem of dealing with licit opium being diverted to illegal markets inside of India and being trafficked beyond its borders.
A form of heroin known as brown sugar is commonly used in the country, which is made of a mixture of heroin which typically ranges between 20 to 60 percent purity, and adulterants in the form of chalk, zinc or other chemicals. The drug is popular in India because it is cheap and readily available. However, the purity of the drug is questionable and can increase the risk of overdosing. Additionally, some users suffer serious adverse effects from taking the drug, as the adulterant substances can be toxic. Injecting drug users often suffer from cellulitis or other infections, and respiratory issues are common amongst users who smoke the substance.
Evidence suggests that there is an increasing trend of Indian people using brown sugar heroin across all groups in society, from children as young as 13. It is not just a drug for the wealthy and elite. It is now taken by students and women, and is commonly used in slums, in wealthy enclaves and business people. Heroin is a drug that is easy to take but difficult to overcome. The addictive properties are well documented but access to rehabilitation services and medical treatments are often not available to people in India. This is especially true for those who are from the poor communities. Accurate heroin addiction rates in India are unknown. However, there are over 1 million registered addicts, with estimates suggesting that the actual number may be as high as 5 million.