Pubdate: Wed, 24 Aug 2005
Source: The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
Copyright: 2005 The Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.thedailystar.net
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3893
Author: Kausar Islam Ayon

YABA, THE NEW DANGER PILL

Youngsters Getting Attracted Because Of Cheap Price

Use of yaba, a drug of the morphine group, has seen an alarming rise in 
recent times. With the reduction of its price and easy availability, young 
people are getting drawn to it.

"When it first arrived in the market in 1999, each pill had cost Tk 1500. 
Now it is available at Tk 300 so we prefer it more," said Sayeed, a regular 
user of yaba.

He also informed that nowadays yaba was available at almost every part of 
the city. "Initially it was available at only two or three specific spots 
in Gulshan and Baridhara. Now one can even get it delivered at home by 
ordering over the phone," added Sayeed.

Yaba is believed to have entered Bangladesh from Myanmar and Thailand and 
the number of addicts is increasing day by day.

"A number of phensydyl and brown sugar addicts are now getting used to yaba 
as it gives a flying sensation and is much better in taste," said a yaba 
dealer.

Yaba is a red pill with chocolate flavour and is inhaled in the same way 
brown sugar is taken from foil paper. The users claim it energises them.

Although most of the addicts are between the ages of 18 and 30, yaba is 
also popular among older people as it supposedly enhances sexual desire and 
performance, claimed sellers of the drug.

Dealers say that women have been one of the major customers of Yaba from 
the very beginning.

A student of a private university said she first tasted the drug with her 
boyfriend who was also an addict.

"He first told me that it tasted like chocolate and was very smooth. We 
took it together to enjoy our physical relation and got addicted to it 
since," said the girl.

Doctor and drug specialists caution that yaba is extremely harmful for 
lever as it completely destroys appetite.

"It also creates pressure on the heart and people with weak hearts are 
always facing the threat of a cardiac arrest if they take it regularly," 
said Prof. Dr. S A M Golam Kibria, chairman, Department of Urology at 
Banghabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

Meanwhile, the Department of Narcotics Control apparently can do nothing to 
stop the spread of yaba.

"The main problem in apprehending the sellers of yaba. They are very alert 
and never sell the drug to unknown people. We have recently arrested a 
number of sellers and we are hopeful they will provide us with information 
to trace the root," said Hafizur Rahman, deputy director of the department.

Police officials said that they struggle to arrest yaba dealers as they 
carry a very small amount of the drug with them which they can hide easily.

"It is very difficult to catch them with routine checks. A seller can hide 
five to ten pills easily inside the wallet or an inner pocket," said a 
police official.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman