Centre to ban Codeine-based medicines | Fusion - WeRIndia

While medicines are intended to treat a disease or health condition, people also use them for other purposes. It often leads to several ill effects. Codeine is one of them.

Codeine is used to treat pain. It is an opioid medicine. Many cough syrups and pain-relieving medicines contain Codeine. But, the drug is misused by people for intoxication.

Due to its properties, users can get addicted to it. Hence, abuse of the drug in the form of smoking or drinking is common. Some people even take it in pill form.

Considering the misuse of the drug as an intoxicant, the central government is planning to ban Codeine-based medicines, especially cough syrups.

The usage of cough syrups increased in the country during the pandemic. Even now, many cough syrups are being used to manage persistent cough and other related symptoms. It is also used to treat cough in post-COVID patients.

Due to its ill effects, the government wants to stop the misuse of these codeine-based formulations. It has been discussing the matter with other government departments.

As per reports, around eight million people suffer from opioid use disorders. Out of them, over two million people use pharmaceutical opioids. Codeine-based formulations have a significant role in drug abuse.

The drug is available in different combinations in the country. It is being used for recreational and intoxication purposes.

The consumption of these drug formulations is high in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, as per internal reports of the government.

In this context, the Union Health Ministry asked the Drug Controller General of India to submit a recommendation after conducting a thorough review.

While the discussions are in the initial stage, the government plans to phase out various combinations gradually.

Meanwhile, the ban will affect around one lakh farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. They are mainly dependent on the cultivation of poppies.

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Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Codeine_Tablets_Package_Teva_60_mg_2017.jpg