The depression afflicting Indian farmers is filtering down a generation to disillusioned village youths. A survey conducted by the Punjab State Department has found there is an addict in over two-thirds of households in the 24-million-strong population. But these young men are not using trafficked opiates: they are hooked on prescription painkillers bought from pharmacies.
Minto is 20 years old and his addiction to a drug he and his peers call ‘capsules’ has bankrupted his father’s dairy business. ‘The capsules I take are for pain relief, but people use them recreationally,’ he says. ‘The Government found out these drugs were being used illegally and cracked down on their sales. All the medical sites selling capsules are being closed but it does not stop us.’
