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Mizzima: PHENSIDYL: a problem for y



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                PHENSIDYL: a problem for youths in Burma

July 5, 2001; Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

While consignments of Burma's heroin are making their way from the
border areas of the country into the north-eastern states of India,
Phensidyl a legal cough syrup in India has been smuggled through the
same routes into Burma. Phensidyl has become a problem for Burma since
many youngsters in the country consume it as drug. The youngsters
particularly in the cities imbibe Phensidyl to escape their sense of
disillusionment and frustration over the country's situation. Under the
military junta, which tightly controls the country and does not allow
any political organizational activities, many university students and
youth spend their time at tea shops or isolated places to consume
Phensidyl or other psychotropic substances.

While a bottle of Phensidyl (which has 10% of Codeine) is sold at 39
Indian rupee in the chemist's in Delhi, it is traded at around 5,000
kyat when it reaches to the cities in Burma. That is about 15 times of
the price in Delhi. In fact, many government servants from Tamu of Burma
come to opposite Moreh town in Manipur just to imbibe phensidyl,
according to local people.

Phensidyl is being smuggled across the Indo-Burma border areas like
Moreh in Manipur and Aizawl in Mizoram state. Moreover, India's
Phensidyl crosses to Bangladesh and then through the Bangladesh-Burma
border, it is smuggled into Burma's cities.

It is clear that several Burmese military officers, police and custom
personnel stationed along the borders are involved in these smuggling
rackets. One will have to pass through several check-points of various
security forces while traveling from the country's border areas to the
cities inside Burma. The smugglers give "bribe" or "Line Kyay" (haftha
money) to the security personnel so that their contrabands are not
seized.

There are some cases when the Burmese security forces seized Phensidyls
and other drugs. But, most of them are small-scale smugglers and the
"big" smugglers are not caught. Even if they are caught (very rarely),
they come back clean after paying heavy bribe to concerned security
persons. And most of these big smugglers are in tow of military officers
in high places.

Nowadays, the youngsters in Burma are turning their eyes to other
Psychotropic substances such as diazepam, amphetamines, nitrazepam and
even the preparation Spasmo Proxyvon (which contains dextropropoxyphene,
a synthetic opioid used as an analgesic). As Phensidyl is becoming
expensive whereas other drug-like tablets are easily available with
cheaper price, many youngsters in Burma start using the "tablets".

Phensidyl is the problem not only for Burma but also for Nepal,
Bangladesh and even north eastern states of India since increasing
number of students and youth in these countries are consuming it as
drug. The International Narcotics Control Board in its latest report has
pointed out that the abuse of psychotropic substances has drastically
increased in Asia in the past few years. "In Bangladesh, the abuse of
the codeine-based cough syrup Phensidyl has continued and there has been
an alarming increase in the smuggling of Phensidyl from India". "Illicit
methamphetamine laboratories continue to operate in the border areas
between Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand and between Myanmar and China",
said its report 2000.



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<center><b><font color="#000099"><font size=+2>PHENSIDYL: a problem for
youths in Burma</font></font></b></center>

<p><i><font color="#CC0000"><font size=+1>July 5, 2001; Mizzima News Group
<a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font></font></i>
<p><font size=+1>While consignments of Burma's heroin are making their
way from the border areas of the country into the north-eastern states
of India, Phensidyl a legal cough syrup in India has been smuggled through
the same routes into Burma. Phensidyl has become a problem for Burma since
many youngsters in the country consume it as drug. The youngsters particularly
in the cities imbibe Phensidyl to escape their sense of disillusionment
and frustration over the country's situation. Under the military junta,
which tightly controls the country and does not allow any political organizational
activities, many university students and youth spend their time at tea
shops or isolated places to consume Phensidyl or other psychotropic substances.</font>
<p><font size=+1>While a bottle of Phensidyl (which has 10% of Codeine)
is sold at 39 Indian rupee in the chemist's in Delhi, it is traded at around
5,000 kyat when it reaches to the cities in Burma. That is about 15 times
of the price in Delhi. In fact, many government servants from Tamu of Burma
come to opposite Moreh town in Manipur just to imbibe phensidyl, according
to local people.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Phensidyl is being smuggled across the Indo-Burma border
areas like Moreh in Manipur and Aizawl in Mizoram state. Moreover, India's
Phensidyl crosses to Bangladesh and then through the Bangladesh-Burma border,
it is smuggled into Burma's cities.</font>
<p><font size=+1>It is clear that several Burmese military officers, police
and custom personnel stationed along the borders are involved in these
smuggling rackets. One will have to pass through several check-points of
various security forces while traveling from the country's border areas
to the cities inside Burma. The smugglers give "bribe" or "Line Kyay" (haftha
money) to the security personnel so that their contrabands are not seized.</font>
<p><font size=+1>There are some cases when the Burmese security forces
seized Phensidyls and other drugs. But, most of them are small-scale smugglers
and the "big" smugglers are not caught. Even if they are caught (very rarely),
they come back clean after paying heavy bribe to concerned security persons.
And most of these big smugglers are in tow of military officers in high
places.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Nowadays, the youngsters in Burma are turning their eyes
to other Psychotropic substances such as diazepam, amphetamines, nitrazepam
and even the preparation Spasmo Proxyvon (which contains dextropropoxyphene,
a synthetic opioid used as an analgesic). As Phensidyl is becoming expensive
whereas other drug-like tablets are easily available with cheaper price,
many youngsters in Burma start using the "tablets".</font>
<p><font size=+1>Phensidyl is the problem not only for Burma but also for
Nepal, Bangladesh and even north eastern states of India since increasing
number of students and youth in these countries are consuming it as drug.
The International Narcotics Control Board in its latest report has pointed
out that the abuse of psychotropic substances has drastically increased
in Asia in the past few years. "In Bangladesh, the abuse of the codeine-based
cough syrup Phensidyl has continued and there has been an alarming increase
in the smuggling of Phensidyl from India". "Illicit methamphetamine laboratories
continue to operate in the border areas between Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand
and between Myanmar and China", said its report 2000.</font>
<p>&nbsp;</html>

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