Amritsar: India's Heroin Capital (VIDEO)

Al Jazeera's Prerna Suri reports on the devastating effects of drugs in one of India's most holy cities, Amritsar.

The city, home to the Golden Temple, a major site for the Sikh religion, highlights both the dangers of drug abuse and the drug trade. Its proximity to Pakistan and Afghanistan have created a city where seventy percent of young people are addicted to heroin.

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Comments

[realitytrumpsbull]

11:20 PM on 01/10/2010

I'm still waiting for, "I Can't Believe It's Not Smack!", the newest moddish heroin substitute, brought to you by Felmah Beli and The Government.

[PlayTOE]

01:09 PM on 01/10/2010

With 70% of the young people addicted ... obviously keeping Heroin illegal has not worked.
It might be time to try for making things like Heroin into legal drugs that are controlled and come with medical help.

[blueskybigstar]

02:02 AM on 01/09/2010

Do people know that Iran Contra people are in control in A-stan? Did you know that since we have been there drug production has increased exponentially to more than ever than its history and that the T-ban was trying to cut it down? Are you aware that before we came to A-stan only 0% of our heroine came from there and since we have been there, it is 40%.

I bet American CIA are the ones profiting from the increase in the drug there, in Russia, and here in the same way they used to market crack.

[realitytrumpsbull]

11:22 PM on 01/10/2010

Well, that's a heady statement, can you prove any of it? Do we need to have a 'defense' budget of like, 15 bucks, to clear things up, there?

[raaf]

05:06 PM on 01/08/2010

Ah yes. Indians blaming the Pakistanis for their drug problems.

[Tenjikuronin]

11:02 PM on 01/08/2010

Which Indians?

[Ajita]

03:47 PM on 01/10/2010

Right. Let's just ignore the fact that most of the heroin in India originates from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and make this about politics. I mean, why bother with facts.

[realitytrumpsbull]

11:25 PM on 01/10/2010

How do you cure heroin use? Is it that big of a deal? Can people that smoke opium/use heroin still function in society, and, if so, is it maybe best to just let sleeping dogs lie, or, more directly, keep the money in India, by decriminalization and thus local production of opium, all out in the open? Drug use will never go away, but how we deal with it as a society could improve quite a bit.

[bismillah001]

04:05 PM on 01/08/2010

Despite the fact that someone made a type-o in one of the graphics for this piece (writing "Kashmir" instead of "Amritsar"), Aljazeera consistently makes our international news coverage look like a joke. Same with BBC.

[blue planet blues]

02:46 AM on 01/09/2010

What do you mean?Al Jazeera is better? They have a different agenda which they cover.Maybe you like it so you think it is better.
Nothing except some print media compares to the BBC

[comicpro]

01:44 PM on 01/08/2010

Any time you want to complain and bluster about how bad everything is here remember articles like this. Its not perfect here in America but its not that bad either! Ask the people willing to swim rivers,crowd themselves in 100 degree tractor trailers and the like.

[Tenjikuronin]

11:02 PM on 01/08/2010

Are you trying to say that American doesn't have tweakers?

[Threedog]

02:51 AM on 01/10/2010

That will stop shortly. The economy is changing. Hold on, it's gonna be a wild ride.

[Tenjikuronin]

12:55 PM on 01/08/2010

Everyone know that Karachi is where the best snow is at.

[TruthFinderToo]

07:53 PM on 01/08/2010

Not true. It is a transition point - not a destination. India is so big, it is becoming the destination.

[Tenjikuronin]

01:54 AM on 01/11/2010

Not at all....the heroin in Karachi has been manufactured specially for the domestic market - with young, urban Pakistani youth being the largest consumers.

[FACTISFACT]

10:58 AM on 01/08/2010

The information is very important for the world as all indication points toward India which may become Drug whale sale dealing center for South East Asian countries with extension to the east African countries and the Far Eastern countries joining with countries already producing drugs.

Experts on the subject are very apprehensive of these major drug producing countries dealers focusing to make India as its distribution center. They are worried and opined that with the existing situation of drug addicts in the country would facilitate its expansion that may be speedy and profitable for the drug dealers and safe too.

The experts hold the view that in case the drug dealers establish whole sale center in India then it will be devastating for the entire East, Far East Asian, and East African countries that too if India is recognized as a supper power country which has no capability to handle and confront the drug dealers ability both financially and procuring armaments.

[Gover]

10:35 AM on 01/08/2010

Check out "Salaam Bombay!" if you want to see a good movie about poverty, drug use etc. in India.

The fact they changed the name of the city really bugs me because now the title of this movie doesn't make any sense. And it's a really, really good movie. Kind of sad though.

[bismillah001]

04:02 PM on 01/08/2010

Yes, that is a great film!