Alprazolam

New Delhi: The Delhi government has directed all pharmaceutical and medical shops to install CCTV cameras on their premises by the end of July to curb the sale of low-quality drugs and dual-use medicines without prescriptions, TOI reported. The order is targeted at high-risk drugs like codeine-based cough syrups, alprazolam tablets and tramadol capsules, which are frequently misused—particularly by minors. Special secretary (health and family welfare) Danish Ashraf wrote a letter to Retail Distribution Chemist Alliance and other chemist associations across Delhi, stating, "Share this communication with all your members, conveying the directions not to indulge in the sale of Schedule H, H1, and X drugs without a valid prescription from a registered medical practitioner. Further, as per the deliberations held during the 11th NCORD meeting on July 18, your members/chemists are requested to install CCTV cameras at their premises by the end of July 2025." According to regulations, Schedule H and H1 drugs cannot be sold over the counter and require a doctor's prescription. H1 drugs include strong antibiotics, anti-TB medicines, and habit-forming substances under the NDPS Act and require sales to be logged in a separate register. Schedule X drugs, such as barbiturates, amphetamines, and pentobarbital, are highly regulated, requiring special sale licences, secure storage under lock and key, and strict documentation, including prescription retention. The drug control department conducts regular inspection across the national capital to ensure compliance. Furthermore, special drives are conducted to collect samples from retailers, wholesalers and institutions to check the quality of drugs available in the market. "In one such special drive conducted in June 2025, the department collected 127 samples of anti-cancer drugs from various outlets across the capital. Of these, 48 samples were tested and found to be genuine and compliant with prescribed quality norms. The results of the remaining 79 samples are awaited. All tested samples so far have been declared of standard quality," KR Chawla, head of office, drug control department, told TOI. The checks are aimed at accountability deter the over-the-counter sale of restricted drugs without medical supervision and to ensure that essential medicines, particularly for critical illnesses like cancer, meet safety and efficacy standards, another official told TOI.

Chandigarh: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Director General of Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau (HSNCB), OP Singh, on Sunday launched a podcast series aimed at bringing citizens closer to the frontline of the state's battle against drugs. The podcast, led personally by the DGP, is envisioned as a bridge between the public and the police, offering authentic, unfiltered narratives from ground operatives who are at the heart of this critical enforcement effort. Through this candid and deeply informed dialogue, the DGP offered listeners a rare glimpse into the operational realities of drug enforcement - the patterns, tactics, and human costs that rarely make it into conventional news reports. One segment of the podcast focused on the disturbing rise in abuse of pharmaceutical drugs such as Tramadol , Tapentadol , Alprazolam, and codeine-based syrups - substances that are legal under medical supervision but are increasingly being misused as substitutes for costlier and harder-to-source drugs like heroin and opium. The DSP in charge of the HSNCB's pharmaceutical enforcement wing explained how peddlers have begun exploiting legal loopholes and vulnerable supply chains to make these drugs available on the black market. "These tablets are cheap, easy to conceal, and often fly under the radar," he said, adding that teenagers and first-time users are particularly vulnerable due to the low cost and easy availability. "The damage these pharma drugs do - to health, families, and futures - is just as devastating," he said. The second half of the podcast turned the spotlight on inter-state drug trafficking - a key concern for Haryana given its strategic location. The DGP spoke with a DSP who was instrumental in tracking and intercepting smuggling routes from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi. The officer narrated several operations in which large consignments of commercial quantity narcotics were seized based on actionable intelligence, surveillance technology, and inter-agency coordination. "Inter-state trafficking is no longer just about physical movement," the officer explained.