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It's a new psychotropic drug that's already reached Bangladesh from Thailand. Cheap, it has the potential to slowly destroy a healthy man in a year. Target: Rave partygoers

Deadly: Yaba tablets can be consumed orally or injected after it's crushed into a powder and mixed with a solvent

Nobody has heard of it in India. Its nearest location right now is in Bangladesh, and it's expected to cross the border into India in a couple of months. It can slowly and painfully destroy a healthy human being in just one year.
 
The name's Yaba, and in its place of origin in Thailand, it's called Crazy Medicine or Nazi Speed. Yaba, a new psychotropic drug, is available as a pill and is  a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine. "The combo makes it four times stronger than Ecstasy tablets, the drug of choice at rave and trance parties.

This means users get an intense burst of energy, followed by increased activity, decreased appetite, and a general sense of well-being," said Dr Yusuf Merchant, head of Drug Abuse Information Rehabilitation and Research Centre (DAIRRC). Once the effects wear off, the user 'crashes' and experiences prolonged periods of sleep and depression.

And warns Dr Merchant, "Yaba is far more dangerous than most other drugs because it's cheap. Just Rs 80 for a single tablet."

Ecstasy costs Rs 1,000 per tablet. In fact, Dr Merchant recently had a patient who had been taking Yaba for nine months.

"His name was Minhaz Kashif (27) and he came to me from Bangladesh for de-addiction. He was from an affluent family. He would get delusions that a computer chip has been implanted into his brain. I had to send him back because his condition did not improve despite our best efforts. The damage is very severe and it happens in a very short span," he said.

And there's another

danger. The Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Mumbai police have not heard of Yaba, as confirmed by Vishwas Nangre Patil, DCP of the ANC. Nor has the customs.

In fact a senior customs officer said Yaba would be difficult to detect. "Unless we have specific intelligence, it is entirely possible to conceal large quantities of psychotropic tablets in batches of genuine medicines."
The tablets are available in 0.5 mg and 2mg.

Dangerous drug
Yaba causes rapid heart rate, high blood pressure and damages blood vessels in the brain, and can lead to a stroke. An overdose can cause hyperthermia convulsions, and even death

How is Yaba used?

Yaba tablets are consumed orally. The tablets come in flavours like grape, orange or vanilla. You can also chase the drug or crush it into a powder and either snort it or inject it intravenously after mixing it with a solvent. 

Target users

Yaba has become increasingly popular at raves, techno parties, and other venues where Ecstasy is used. Dealers deliberately push Yaba to young people tempting them with the bright colors and candy flavours. 

Heroin

Inject, sniff, smoke, silver burn  

Quantity- nearly 1 gram

Cost- Rs 60 to Rs 100 (depending on quality)

Destroys body within: 10 to 15 years

Cocaine

Sniff, added to gutka or pan

Quantity- nearly 1 gram

Cost: Rs 2,500 to Rs 8,000 (depending on quality)

Destroys body within-   7 years

Ecstasy

Tablet

Quantity: nearly 0.5 mg to 2 mg

Cost: Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 (depending on quality)

Destroys body within: 3 years

Yaba

Tablet form

Quantity- nearly 0.5mg to 2mg

Cost- Rs 80 to Rs 200 (depending on quality)

Destroy body within 1 year

LSD

Liquid

Quantity- one drop

Cost- Rs 500 to Rs 1000 (depending on quality)

Destroys body within 5 years