Aizawl: At least 46 people, including 3 women, have died due to drug abuse in Mizoram during the 2024-2025 financial year until February 13, according to a report presented in the state legislature on Tuesday.
State Excise and Narcotics Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar informed the legislature that a total of 1,884 people, including 230 females, have succumbed to substance abuse since 1984, when the first drug-related death from heroin was reported in the state.
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Minister Hmar also revealed that various drugs had been seized by law enforcement agencies under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (ND&PS) Act from April 2024 to January 2025, including 34.15 kilograms of heroin, 34.18 kilograms of methamphetamine, 329.7 kilograms of ganja (cannabis), 1.31 kilograms of Nitrazepam, and 152.5 kilograms of cough syrup. During this period, 458 individuals were arrested for drug trafficking offenses under the ND&PS Act.
In his address, Hmar emphasized the state government’s ongoing efforts to combat the drug menace, which include collaboration with civil society organizations. He noted that Spasmo-proxyvon and Parvon spas were the primary drugs responsible for deaths in the state until 2015 when heroin became more prevalent due to an increase in supply from Myanmar and neighboring states.
Mizoram, which shares borders with Myanmar (510 km), Bangladesh (318 km), and inter-state boundaries with Assam, Manipur, and Tripura, has become a major transit point for drug trafficking.
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The highest number of drug-related deaths in Mizoram was recorded in 2004, with 143 fatalities, including 21 females, followed by 139 deaths in 2000. Interestingly, no drug-related deaths were reported in 1986.
From 2015 to 2024, a total of 564 people, including 92 women, died due to the abuse of heroin and other drugs. The state is intensifying its efforts to curb the growing drug problem and save more lives.