Pharmacies sell pain killers for 'kicks'

by Carol Aloysius

Officials of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) who stepped up their raids on illegal consumer items on the direction of Trade Minister Johnston Fernando have found a new injection used by drug addicts who use pain killers for 'kicks' and as an aphrodisiac.

"They use morphine sulphate tablets which are administered to cancer patients as pain killers. This is a very dangerous trend as these tablets are meant to be ingested and not injected into one's body", an inspector of the CAA, Amith Perera told the Sunday Observer.

Looking for suppliers of the painkiller which is available only on prescription, led the CAA inspectors to a pharmacy in Moratuwa a fortnight ago. "We found that the addicts were mostly bus drivers. Each time they pass this pharmacy they tooted their horn and someone from this pharmacy would bring them a packet of these tablets. We also came across another pharmacy in Embilipitiya doing the same thing, and we received information a few days ago of these drugs being sold illegally at Walasamulla.

The pharmacy in Moratuwa has been closed following the raid. The other two are under investigations", he said. He said that the CAA was investigating as to how these prescription drugs had entered the open market, other than pharmacies.