Delhi: Rise in abuse of prescription drugs, opioids is Police’s new pain point

On June 19, around 8:45 PM, Delhi Police apprehended a 17-year-old in North East Delhi’s Nand Nagri, recovering 22.44 grams of smack from him. The quantity qualifies as commercial under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, under which he was booked.

This incident was not an outlier. In fact, it reflects a growing trend in parts of the national capital, where a surge in drug abuse—particularly injectable pharmaceutical drugs—has become visible. While smack has long plagued the streets of Delhi, syringes and banned drug cocktails are now emerging as a newer, more dangerous pattern.

During an earlier raid in the same district, police recovered six panni pipes, three injection vials, 12 tablets, and one syringe. Such recoveries have become common across North East Delhi and Shahdara. Often, every syringe found is accompanied by opioid tablets like Buprenorphine and injections of Pheniramine Maleate.

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Buprenorphine is typically used to treat opioid dependence, acute pain, and chronic pain. For addiction treatment, it reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms without causing euphoria, enabling patients to focus on recovery. It is administered through injections, sublingual tablets, or skin patches, depending on the treatment goal. Buprenorphine is also used to manage pain severe enough to require an opioid.

Pheniramine, meanwhile, is an antihistamine and decongestant. On its own, it treats symptoms like a runny nose or watery eyes caused by allergies or flu. But when mixed with Buprenorphine, the result is a psychotropic cocktail that is not only addictive but can also cause severe harm or death.

According to a doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity, combining the two can lead to dizziness, confusion, and drowsiness. “It may impair judgement and motor coordination, especially in older individuals. People should avoid alcohol or driving while on these medicines,” he said.

These combinations are increasingly being misused by addicts across Delhi. Ashish Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North East, said: “Smack remains the common substance abused here, usually smoked using panni pipes. But recently, we are witnessing a rise in syringes and injection vials during our operations.”

The situation in Shahdara appears even more grave.

On June 24, Shahdara police arrested Sunil alias Kale based on a tip-off. He was caught selling psychotropic substances in NSA Colony, Farsh Bazaar. Officers seized 27 Pheniramine Maleate injections and 46 Buprenorphine Hydrochloride tablets. “This combination is commonly used intravenously by addicts,” said Prashant Gautam, DCP Shahdara.

Later that day, Jagatpuri Police arrested Nadeem Ahmad, 26, near Silver Park in Shivpuri. Based on confidential information, a team intercepted him and recovered 18 tablets containing Buprenorphine and Naloxone, along with 18 Pheniramine Maleate injections.

Naloxone is generally used to reverse opioid overdoses. Its effects begin within minutes depending on the mode of administration—intravenous, intramuscular, or nasal spray. However, in Delhi’s streets, it is misused with Buprenorphine and Pheniramine to intensify the high.

“This cocktail is dangerous and highly addictive,” said Gautam. “Drug addiction has become a blemish on society, spoiling the future of our youth.”

Last year, the Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of Delhi Police identified 64 drug trafficking hotspots across the city. Several of these fall within the same affected areas—New Seelampur, Jwala Nagar, Nand Nagri, and Vivek Vihar—where the abuse of injectable drugs is now overtaking traditional narcotics.

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As Delhi Police step up surveillance and seizures, the spread of syringes and pharmaceutical cocktails reveals an escalating crisis. The battle against drug abuse in the capital is shifting from powder and pipes to needles and vials—and the consequences could be far more deadly.