Illegal cough syrup trade fuels addiction in Odisha’s Boudh district, watch

Boudh: Odisha’s Boudh district has reportedly become a hub for illegal cough syrup trade. Instead of using the syrup as a medicine to control coughing, youths here are now using it as an intoxicant and getting addicted to it. And in an inebriated state due to large amount of cough syrup drinking they are also committing crimes at times in a state of intoxication. The administration has failed to stop it. There are a few fields here where hundreds of empty cough syrup bottles are seen thrown. Piles of cough syrup bottles are lying on the field. Here is an investigative report.

Illegal cough syrup trade is spreading from western Odisha to coastal Odisha. Youth are addicted to drinking cough syrup. They are even making reels while consuming cough syrup as intoxicant and posting it on social media that is going viral. They are making videos while drinking the syrup. In certain areas of the district large number of cough syrup empty bottles are seen thrown in fields. Not only in empty fields but also the same scene can be witnessed in drains and other deserted places. It is said youths use to come here to sit for a momentary pleasure and consume cough syrups as intoxicant as well as they are also consuming intoxicating tablets. It is seen more in areas like Manamunda, Kantamal, Ghantapada, and Baunsuni in Boudh district.

Instead of using it as drug, this syrup is now making the youth addicted. Syrup is being sold openly without a prescription in a few drug stores, which the youth have taken advantage of. The youth are committing crimes while intoxicated by drinking cough syrup at low cost. The District Drug Control Department has failed to stop the illegal sale of cough syrup in the district. Recently, 11 children died in Madhya Pradesh after drinking cough syrup. Who can say that this will not happen again in Boudh district of Odisha? Why doesn’t the district administration put a stop to this? Why doesn’t it make the youth aware?

Cough syrup is being smuggled into Boudh district illegally. At times police are taking actions to curb the menace but the illegal trade is yet to be put to an end. In 2021, during a check in Charichhaka under the Purunakatak police station limits in Boudh district, police raided a Scorpio vehicle that was smuggling cough syrup. The police seized more than 1,500 cough syrup bottles in the raid and arrested an accused. The estimated value of the illegal consignment was about 3 lakh rupees. The accused is Satambar Bagh of Gadarpali, Nuapada district.

Similarly, in 2022, Police seized a car along with 640 bottles of cough syrup and narcotic tablets from Gandhi chhaka under Manamunda police station limits in Boudh district. The police registered a case and arrested one accused, Jagabandhu Meher.

On June 6, 2025, the mafia set fire to a car full of cough syrup near Rekdol under Ghantapada Police Station limits in Boudh district and fled, fearing arrest by the police. During investigation, the police clarified that the car was being used for illegal cough syrup transportation when it was set on fire.

Similarly, in July 2025, the police seized a car with 1,798 bottles of cough syrup in 15 boxes near Karunapali village under Boudh police station limits. The mafia fled the scene after abandoning the vehicle.

It has been observed that police have taken zero action against the mafia while illegal cough syrup and narcotic tablet trade is increasing in the district. It is important to make the youth, intellectuals and guardians aware.

Meanwhile, SP of the district said that we are collecting information and raids soon will be conducted. He said that earlier many shops selling narcotics have been raided during the operation Prahar.

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