65 people died of drug abuse in Mizoram in 2017

Aizawl: At least 65 people, including 12 women, died from substance abuse in Mizoram last year, according to the records of the state Excise and Narcotics department. Of the 65 drug-related deaths last year, 28 people died from heroin overdose while the rest died due to abuse of other narcotics, the records show.

An official of the Excise and Narcotics department said around 6.035 kilogramme of heroin, 13,400 Methamphetamine tablets and 1,59,471 tablets of Pseudo-ephedrine were seized during raids in 2017.

The department also seized 392 kilogramme of ganja (cannabis) and destroyed 4,127 ganja plants. This year, one person has died due to drug abuse in the first week of January, the official said. The state recorded maximum number of drug-related deaths in 2004 with 143 people succumbing to addiction.

The excise and narcotics department records show at least 1,468 people have died from substance abuse in the state since 1984.