Farewell, India’s anti-drug campaigner

Dr Yusuf Merchant complained of breathing difficulties on Thursday evening. File pic

He was one of the most respected names for drug de-addiction and rehabilitation, not only in the country, but globally. Dr Yusuf Merchant's demise is a big loss as he was the ‘anti-drug campaigner' of India," said Dr Suleman Merchant, a radiologist and former dean of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, and elder brother of Dr Merchant. Dr Merchant passed away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 66, at Bombay Hospital on Thursday night.

Advocate Shabnam Latiwala, a family friend, said, "On Thursday around 8 pm, Dr Merchant complained of restlessness and breathing difficulties. His wife Sanaa rushed him to Bombay Hospital. After getting admitted, he was talking but had a sudden cardiac arrest. The doctors tried to revive him by giving Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for nearly half an hour, but could not succeed."

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His body has been kept at the hospital mortuary, where it will remain until Saturday. The funeral will take place on Saturday evening at Bada Qabrastan, Charni Road, after the arrival of his daughter Sanskriti, who is pursuing higher studies in Toronto, Canada. The family has kept a prayer meeting on Monday at KC College Auditorium from 5 pm to 6.30 pm, Advocate Shabnam said. "I will miss his impish smile the most. I lost a wonderful friend. May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannat," said a heartbroken Shabnam.

Family and friends recall

"His untimely demise has created an indescribable void, not just for the family but for the world of drug de-addiction and rehabilitation. He had shared his thoughts at the UN and other international organisations on multiple occasions, and authored many books. His unique interventions helped so many families get a new lease of life for their loved ones. He genuinely felt for his patients, and that helped him heal them better, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually too," said his brother Dr Suleman.

Dr Merchant with his daughter Sanskriti

He told mid-day, "Right from childhood, he was an out-of-the-box thinker. Both of us studied at a boarding school in Pune. We were five siblings, and now with Yusuf gone, only our younger sister and I are left. We will keep working to keep his legacy and his mantra ‘replace addiction with connection' alive." When asked about Dr Merchant's last days, Dr Suleman said, "I had told him that he needed to slow down for some months. I was also concerned about his travel from south Mumbai to Kalyan, where his drug rehabilitation centre called ‘Land' is located. He was to undergo a heart valve replacement surgery soon."

A recovered addict, who came out of addiction with Dr Merchant's help, told mid-day, "I met Dr Merchant 22 years ago. He transformed my life in all ways. He was a friend, a brother, and a father figure. He was also my guide and mentor. I hope he is fine wherever he is. He is the best human being I have ever met. He sincerely cared for and worried about the youths getting addicted to drugs and became their friend for life."

A pioneer

Founder-president of one of the oldest narcotic drugs treatment centres in Mumbai named Drug Abuse Information Rehabilitation and Research Centre (DAIRC), he was also serving as a special advisor to the United Nations Economic and Social Council that deals with substance abuse. DAIRC was involved in rehabilitation through community living of behavioural disorders like drug addiction, alcoholism, anxiety and depression since 1983, and has also been actively involved in the HIV awareness programme since 1988. Dr Merchant was honoured with the Indian Excellence Award for Best Anti Drug Campaigner of India. Earlier on June 8, Dr Merchant was the special guest of honour for drug destruction day wherein over 40,000 kg of illicit drugs seized by the customs and DRI were destroyed in over 13 centres all over India. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had lauded Dr Merchant for his relentless work and contribution.

From mid-day archives

Dr Merchant was instrumental in getting Meow Meow or mephedrone banned in the country in 2014, by raising concern about its side effects. A series of reports by mid-day in April and December of 2014 and a subsequent PIL filed by Dr Merchant before Bombay High Court helped pave the way for the ban.

Before the matter could come up for hearing on February 27, 2015, the Ministry of Finance on February 5, 2015 declared mephedrone as a psychotropic substance and made its production, transportation, storage and consumption illegal under Section 3 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Until then, there was no provision under the statute to declare mephedrone as a psychotropic drug.

mid-day in 2014 won Mumbai Press Club's Red Ink Award in the crime category for an article exposing the deadly drug and its side effects which had conversations with Meow Meow addicts who had come to Dr Merchant for rehabilitation.