‘Prescription-less over-the-counter sleeping pills, sedatives sales to invite punitive action’

Mysore/Mysuru: Strict action will be taken against medical stores found dispensing sleeping tablets and other sedative medicines without a valid doctor’s prescription, warned Additional Superintendent of Police C. Mallik.

Addressing the Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) Committee meeting at the Office of the Superintendent of Police recently, the Additional SP said, “The drug production and demand network must be disrupted through continuous awareness programmes on the ill-effects of narcotics.”

He stressed the need to identify drug addicts and provide counselling through rehabilitation centres to help them return to the mainstream society. To curb the sale and consumption of drugs, the Police Department has been conducting regular raids and has called upon the public and other departments to cooperate in eliminating the menace.

Addl.SP Mallik said it had come to the notice of the Police that sleeping tablets were being purchased from medical stores without prescriptions and misused as narcotic substances.

He warned that strict action would be taken against medical stores violating norms by selling such medicines. He also directed hostel wardens to closely monitor inmates and inspect items brought from outside. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) K.S. Sundar Raj said that the ‘Vimukthi’ campaign is being conducted across the city and assured that the identity of those who provide information about drug sales would be kept confidential. Officials from various departments were present at the meeting.