Poor and uneducated youths of Lucknow fall prey to drug addiction as illegal drug sale thrives in the city. Open sale of drugs in Lucknow city of Uttar Pradesh is increasingly pushing young men from poor families towards drug addiction. The victims of this addiction include some of this correspondent’s own relatives and several community members. Gunjan learns from them that the drug is sold openly in the city’s Mawaiya locality, but nothing is done to stop that illegal trade.

In Lucknow there are 22,000 registered drug addicts. However, the number is constantly increasing as the city continues to have a thriving market of illegal drugs. Most of the addicts are from poor families with a meager income. They money they earn is entirely spent on buying drugs which is easily available in the market with Rs 50 a dose.

Most of the youths use heroin, however, in Mawaiya cannabis, opium and other sedatives and painkillers are also sold openly without a prescription.

According to Gunjan, drug addiction is a growing problem in her community and though the police claim to be controlling the sale of drugs, no change is visible. The easy availability of drugs is the proof of that. Gunjan feels that instead of targeting the drug sellers, the police keeps chasing the addicts which is the wrong way to address the problem. She wants the police to crack the drug sellers racket, so the youths of her community can find it easy to stay off drugs.