Mumbai: The dark side of White Magic

To gain insights into the far-reaching impact and deeply troubling nature of addiction to synthetic drugs, mid-day spoke to members of investigation agencies as well as experts such as psychiatrists and doctors. Their inputs shed light on the physical, psychological and social ramifications of the narcotics menace.

A senior officer of an investigation agency said if the drug menace is not curbed, it will take a serious toll on society in the next five years.

"In the past few years, we noticed the sale and consumption of MD [mephedrone] sale had started gradually increasing. After the COVID-induced lockdown ended, the MD epidemic took over based on what we have been noticing during our day-to-day practice. We are attending to patients, mostly college students, graduates and even professionals in the corporate sector, who are addicted to drugs. The well-educated sector of our country is getting addicted despite knowing very well what is right and wrong," said Dr Sagar Mundada, consultant psychiatrist and de-addiction specialist.

He added that the habits of these individuals were impacting their physical and mental health and finances and were responsible for isolating them from their families and near and dear ones who were not ready to accept them.

Seeds of addiction

According to Dr Mundada, some patients had not even heard about mephedrone before being introduced to it by friends, who recommended it highly, while others had started becoming regular users after taking the synthetic drug to deal with work pressure. "Once, a person consumes MD, he or she gets energetic. This is why they start taking it to complete tasks. Stress never ends, but addiction keeps on increasing. Some patients had spent Rs 50,000 to Rs 40 lakh on their habit, incurring debt," he said.

Dr Deepti Puranik, assistant professor, psychology, NMIMS; Dr Rutuja Karkhanis More, programme chairperson, psychology, NMIMS; Dr Sagar Mundada, consultant psychiatrist and de-addiction specialist

A CEO's tale

"A few months ago, a CEO of a Mumbai-based company dropped by for treatment. He had started taking MD to cope with work pressure. Initially, he would take it often on the weekends to start the week well. He then started spending lakhs every month on his habit. Seeing how it was boosting his performance at work, he had even recommended it to some of his staffers. Going by that he said, I believe he almost spent around Rs 50 lakh on MD, which depleted his savings," Dr Mundada said.

Student saved

Recounting the story of a 20-year-old BSC student from Mira Road, Dr Mundada said the youth had been depressed because of studies and family issues. "Seeing him in a stressed state, a friend took him out for drinks. During the session, the friend gave him some white powder, which he claimed would boost his spirits. The student then felt energetic and began dancing. After a few days, he started thinking about trying it again. He would then have it every weekend without fail. But the weekly habit was turning into a daily one. After a while, the friend started avoiding the student as he was unable to pay for the drug, which costs Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000 per gram. However, the friend later asked him to approach others to sample his wares if he wanted to continue taking the drug," he said. The student started searching for other customers and would constantly ask people for cash. "His parents eventually noticed this behaviour and found out about the addiction after gaining his trust. The parents put him under house arrest for a month and once he assured them he would quit the habit, they brought him for counselling sessions," Dr Mundada added.

Engineer ensnared

Dr Mundada also recounted a case involving a Mumbai-based 30-year-old techie. "He was earning a good amount and had an EMI of around R40,000 per month. After getting addicted to MD, he would blow his salary on the drug within a day or two. He would then default on the payment of the EMI and ask friends for money regularly. The borrowed money was also spent on MD. After this went on for months, his family learnt that he was knee-deep in debt and an addict. His parents then decided to send him for counselling but he was unwilling to accept that he had erred. He is now undergoing counselling sessions and his family has taken over his finances, ensuring he has enough cash to travel. His friends are in touch with the family constantly to see that he reaches home on time and stays clear of MD," said Dr Mundada.

Borrowing habit

According to experts, some addicts need 10 to 15 grams of MD over a night, which is costly. An individual who had racked up debts of R25 lakh over three years told mid-day, "If you don't have cash, you turn to your friends and tell them lies about your health or safety to get hold of money. Of the 100 contacts on my mobile phone, I had asked 90 for cash and around 40 obliged me. Be it Rs 500 or Rs 10,000, every paisa counts."

White aphrodisiac

Experts claim that the drug is also used to increase one's sexual prowess and some married couples begin using it for this purpose. However, the ensuing addiction results in the breakdown of families. "People only think about the advantages of drugs, but many are still unaware of their ill effects," said
Dr Mundada.

Health concerns

Dr Deepti Puranik, assistant professor, psychology, NMIMS, said, "Mephedrone affects a person's mood as well as their environment. It gives a sense of euphoria due to which people tend to get addicted to it. In a particular case, a teenage boy exhibited symptoms similar to that of MD users. However, it is difficult to mention whether it was MD or some other drug."

"His continuous drug abuse had brought complete distress to his family due to the financial burden as well as the communication block between the parents and teenager. His family members used to force him to undergo psychological therapeutic sessions. He did attend one or two of them but refused to continue further. Inconsistency in treatment is often seen in such clients," she added.

Dr Rutuja Karkhanis More, programme chairperson, psychology, NMIMS, said, "Mephedrone is also known as White Magic, drone, M-CAT and meow meow. Consumption of it may lead to hallucinations, confusion and a stroke. An immediate effect is seen if injected. It takes a few minutes if it's snorted or swallowed. A person using MD may feel confident, be more talkative, alert, anxious or dizzy. It fastens the heartbeat, and dependency may lead to insomnia."

Addiction among women

A senior police officer said, "We have noticed a lot of college-going girls and women consuming drugs. Some also get into peddling and running syndicates. A classic example is Chinku Pathan's associate Iqra Qureshi, who was arrested from Dongri. Qureshi, who was arrested more than once, started off as a consumer and went on to become a peddler and then a wholesaler. Around five to six women part of her supply chain as she felt the police would never target them."

NCBSpeak

Amit Ghawate, zonal director, Narcotic Control Bureau, said parents must keep an eye on their kids. "In many cases, youngsters caught in narcotic cases were using the dark net to purchase drugs. One should also keep a watch on their spouse as all sorts of people are getting addicted to drugs and involved in their supply over the past few years," he added.

The path to sobriety

According to Dr Mundada, an addict must not be in a state of denial about their situation. "When parents or close ones bring addicts to the doctor, oftentimes they don't say a single word. While it is clear that their body and brain are hijacked by MD, if one is clear about what he is up to and is ready to quit, the family should support them under any circumstances. Counselling and proper management are needed. If someone is reeling under debt and cannot manage their monthly salary, their finances should be taken over by their family or close ones," he said.

Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000
Approx cost of 1 gram of MD