HERAT CITY (SW): Health experts believed rampant unlicensed sale of all sorts of medicine has contributed to the growing number of suicides in western Heart province.
More than 60 youngsters attempted suicide this year alone, 10 of them lost their lives while the rest were rescued.
Mohammad Rafiq Shirzai, Spokesman Herat Regional Hospital expressed concerns about easy access to lethal drugs in the market. “Many drug stores sell medicine without any prescription”. He said the main reason young people resort to these drugs for suicide was psychological strains and family problems.
“Many pharmacies do not have operating licenses and medicine is also sold with reckless abandon in places like grocery stores”, he noted.
A couple of weeks ago, a young man ended his life after taking an overdose of 100mg Tramadol, an opioid pain tablets.
Heart citizens have repeatedly expressed concerns that easy access to such drugs stimulates youngsters to commit suicide when faced with issues like psychological strains, broker hearts or other problems.
The Ministry of Health confirms reports about availability of un-prescribed drugs across the country. Asif Kabir, Head of Herat Public Health Department vowed that renewed efforts have been made to curb it.
“The ministry of health has been constantly informing the drug stores and private pharmacies across the province about the illegality of selling antibiotics and addictive drugs without doctor’s prescription”, he said.
Doctors warn that drugs that have addictive nature like Tramadol and Metadol plus drugs that are meant to treat stress should not be sold without doctor’s prescription. Some 500 drug stores are currently active in Herat but not many of their proprietors have pharmaceutical academic background.
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