Pattern of substance or drug abuse in cases reported by chemical examiner laboratory, Punjab, India

Punjab in the northern part of India has been facing a drug or substance abuse (mainly of heroin, commonly known as chitta in Punjab) in recent years, resulting in considerable harm both to the individual and to the society. Drug abuse refers to the inappropriate (e.g., using chemicals that are never intended to be put into the body like glue sniffing), usually excessive and self-administration of a drug, any other chemical or illegal substance to affect the mind and body for a non-medical purpose. The geographical location of Punjab also contributes to the increasing problem of drug abuse. Drug abuse is also associated with crime. The analysis of available data was conducted from January to September 2018. During this period, 82 viscera cases were received by Chemical Examiner Laboratory (CEL) with a history of suspected drug abuse/drug overdose. After analysis by seven analysts, morphine, a metabolite of diacetylmorphine (the active ingredient of heroin), was found to be the most common drug. These statistics can be helpful for the government and various public health agencies to identify emerging trends of drug abuse in the state so that they can better target prevention measures.