New Delhi, 24 December (H.S.): Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate raised alarm on Wednesday over the surging addiction to banned codeine cough syrup among Uttar Pradesh's youth, urging the government to take stringent action against those responsible for this menace.She highlighted how this inexpensive drug, now morphing into a perilous narcotic, has ensnared even children, devastating lives across the state.

During a press conference here, Shrinate cited the tragic case of 17-year-old Akash from Unnao, whose life unraveled due to this addiction; initially funded by pocket money, he progressed to selling household items and his mother's jewelry, eventually resorting to chain snatching.

Akash's condition has deteriorated critically, with damaged liver and kidneys, fluid accumulation in his abdomen, and lakhs of rupees spent on treatment yielding no relief from the unrelenting habit. Shrinate emphasized that available for just 40-45 rupees, the syrup rapidly addicts young people, shattering families and infiltrating school and college campuses with ease.

Once dominated by discussions of charas, ganja, and opium, the narrative has shifted to codeine cough syrup, a scourge afflicting not just Akash but thousands of youths nationwide.

She accused Shubham Jaiswal from Varanasi as the mastermind of this racket, who allegedly amassed 500 crore rupees over five years, with his network spanning Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

Shrinate questioned the inaction against figures like former MP Dhananjay Singh implicated in the syndicate, asserting that drug addiction poses a grave national challenge demanding decisive governmental intervention to curb its spread.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar